Broken Promises
by waatp
Summary: After the ICCA win, Beca discovered she had a secret. After a horrible accident, she runs from Barden, unable to cope with the emotions presented to her. She leaves with nothing but the clothes on her back. Three months later, Beca is far from home, stubborn and in need of help. Her friends are desperately searching for her. Will they find her before she runs again? Bechloe endgame
1. The Miserable Start

**Had this idea floating around for a while. Have written a few chapters already to see how it started. Please let me know what you think. I own nothing.**

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**.o0o. Chapter 1 .o0o.**

Beca Mitchell cut a lonely figure as she sat, with her back against the door, in the run down motel room, just on the outskirts of Las Vegas. She hadn't moved an inch for a couple of hours, feeling the warmth of the day through the closed, locked door. An almost empty, crinkled water bottle rested quietly in the crook of her knee.

She didn't have the energy to blink any more, let alone cry the tears that had been filling her eyes for the last few days. She didn't even bother trying to sigh; there was no one there to hear her silent pleas. She had let the tears dry by themselves and her face now felt cracked and sore.

As the day gave way to the night and darkness enveloped the room, Beca heard the familiar sounds of people returning to their rooms. She didn't move to switch on the overhead light, despite the shadows creeping over her. Hearing the car doors slamming, happy chatter and the faint hum of the televisions; it all just added to her misery. The faint glow of the Strip, dancing, almost twinkling in the mirror on the opposite side of the room reminding her of the life still going on outside.

She heard a woman's laugh next door and for a moment, it dragged her from her reverie, prompting a memory of a happier time, not so long ago. A time when she had laughed friends, she had family that loved her, she had her adored music, she had her life. Now she was left with nothing but resentful memories and a dull pain in her heart that ached and the sting in her stomach of knowing that this was all her fault.

The laughing continued and it irked her. Really irked her. With a bitter taste in her mouth, she turned her head towards the sound and glared at the happiness oozing through the dry wall.

"Shut up!" She slurred as her voice was all uneven from weariness and lack of talking. She knew they couldn't hear her; no one could ever hear her. She knew that was her fault. She didn't open up to people. She didn't know how. She had kept silent when she should have spoken. She should have been honest. People got hurt. People had suffered. People had died. All because she couldn't find the words to voice what was in her heart and in her head.

It was easier in the dark where no one bothered her. Save for the occasional beam of light outside from a car's headlamp shining on the motel room ceiling or the glow from a mobile phone as the owner walked past the window, she sat in the dark, alone, until the world stilled around her.

She finally moved, stiffly at first, knocking the water bottle to the floor. She peered down at the sound, almost surprised to see it as she had forgotten it was there. Slowly unscrewing the lid, she drained the dregs of the liquid before tossing the bottle onto the unmade bed in the middle of the room.

Raising her knees to her chest, she sluggishly wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her feet as close to her as possible. She laid her heavy head on her knee and finally let the tears that had been threatening to fall, softly, noiselessly run down her chin onto her ripped jeans. She didn't bother to wipe them away.

As the day's toll finally began to take effect, and she submitted to its pull, she saw the faces of her friends. She saw his face, full of regret, unspent love in his eyes, yearning to be close to her again. She had pushed him away, not even explaining her reasons why. Now, it was too late.

"Oh Jesse, I am sorry. I am so _fucking_ sorry." She whispered into the stale room. She summoned up the courage to think about him for a moment. Reminding herself of her best friend and the love that she did have for him.

**.o0o.**

Jesse had plagued Beca for a year for acceptance and while she had succumbed to the pressure and agreed to be his best friend for life, he had pushed her for more. Beca didn't want to be pushed. She liked to be in control of her own emotions. Of her own destiny. She could be honest with herself and say that she never felt so loved and safe in his arms, so wanted, so needed by someone but she didn't return the love he showed her. She couldn't. She didn't know how.

After the ICCA finals and the kiss that they shared, she agreed to date him and laughed at how happy he seemed as he spun her around, warm, secure hands encircling her waist. She pushed all the nagging doubts to the back of her mind as he reached his hand round the back of her hair, collecting it in his fingers as he tilted her head back for a kiss.

"I told you it was inevitable." He whispered into her ear and she had rolled her eyes at him, a look that he had missed. The ICCA after show party was incredible and even Aubrey had let her hair down. The drive home was electric. Fat Amy taking the scenic drive home, giving the Bella's the time to breathe, have a drink from Chloe's secret stash and just enjoy their moment. They had pulled up back at Barden and the Treblemakers had started celebrating on their behalf and had organised pizza and beer back at the Trebles House. Jesse had practically yanked Beca from the bus when the girls arrived, wrapping his arms around her and dragging her to the party. They all danced and sang until the early hours of the morning, just enjoying themselves. Aubrey, very drunk at this point, had practically given Fat Amy a lap dance and Chloe and Stacie had led the dancing, some of Beca's mixes filling the room.

Later that night, after they had stumbled to Beca's room. With Kimmy Jin having left to take part in an all-night Wii party with her friends, Jesse and Beca shared their first night together. It was drunken, sloppy, Jesse was too quick to start and certainly too quick to finish and it was nothing like Beca had expected, or hoped it would be. She had needed Jesse to take her to Heaven so she could fall in love with him properly but as he collapsed on top of her with a loud grunt, moments after he had begun, her heart had sunk. He had laid nuzzled into her neck for a moment before his drunken stupor had made way for heavy, dribbling snoring and Beca had pushed him off her so she could breathe.

The next morning was slightly embarrassing. Beca just wanted Jesse out of her bed, her room and her morning. She wanted to think about everything. Last night had been a disappointment. Not just the bad sex and the wet, sloppy kisses, but that Beca had felt absolutely nothing special for the handsome guy, currently hogging her blankets.

She had rolled over and sat on the edge of her bed, reaching over to retrieve her underwear and tee shirt from the floor. Slipping the tee shirt over her head and threading her arms through the holes, she walked to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans. Stepping into them quickly, she pushed her feet into shoes, ignoring the dull headache looming at the back of her skull. With a tired sigh, the one that only comes from a night of no sleep, Beca quickly ripped a piece of paper from her notepad and scribbled a note to Jesse, explaining or rather lying about a Bella's meet and she would see him later. She felt tears prick her eyes as she left him in her bed and walked out of the dorm.

**.o0o.**

She could hear a police siren in the distance snapping her out of her daydream and she wondered if they had finally found out where she had been hiding for twelve weeks. Come to arrest her for getting Jesse killed. She had left everything behind, her phone, her purse, her music, her friends, her family, her life and had just run with the shirt on her back and her birthday dollars in her pocket. Dollars that were severely depleted now after weeks of living in the motel. She had rationed food, eating only the bare minimum and that was only because she had to. She drank water from the tap to save money. The flashback of her birthday party caused her stomach to swell and bile began to rise in her throat as she choked down a sob.

Chloe and Aubrey had worked so hard on her party and everyone she cared about was there. She was sure her 19th birthday wasn't all that special really, coming four weeks after the ICCA finals in May but secretly she loved the hard work and care that her two best friends had put into decorating the community hall and sorting out the food. They had all danced and sang together for hours. Beca has actually felt happy, like really happy, the feeling returning from a long time ago. She had been spoilt rotten with gifts of money. Everyone knew Beca had had her eye on a new laptop, far superior to the one she used for her mixes now and she had been given enough money to buy it. She had become overwhelmed with the generosity, as she had slipped the cash into her back pocket. As she hugged Chloe tightly to her, knowing full well it was her redheaded friend who had organised the gift as she had spoken to Chloe with great excitement about the latest technology; she had started to choke down her tears. She had done that a few times in the past couple of days but Chloe just hugged her tighter, only pulling apart so that Aubrey could join in.

However, it was just all too much for Beca when the music had paused, the lights had been turned up for the speeches and cake and Jesse had taken a knee, holding out a small black velvet box towards her ...

Beca placed her hands over her grumbling stomach, lacing her fingers tightly, protectively over her belly. She loving stroked her little paunch, just visible under the waistband of her jeans and whispered softly.

"OK little one ... I'll eat tomorrow. Just for you."

If only she had been honest sooner.


	2. The Friendly Interlude

**A/N – Sorry, this is quite a long chapter but I couldn't really split it into two. So I didn't! Make a cup of tea, dunk a hob nob (you can tell I am as English as they come!) before starting to read. Thank you to my reviewers and followers :)**

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**.o0o. Chapter 2 .o0o.**

Aubrey Posen was desperately trying to not vomit as she shuffled her summer college note and papers together before neatly stapling, hole punching and filing into the correct (labelled and colour coded) folder. She gulped a couple of times before standing up, smoothed down her shirt, straightened her back and placed the binder back in its correct position. She wasn't quite sure why she felt the need to vomit this morning, only that day felt like a strange day. It certainly was nothing to do with the bottle and a half of expensive Merlot that Chloe and she has polished off last night. No, sir.

She flinched briefly as the wave of nausea rose into her throat and looked around the room. Everything was in order, military style, Posen style. She stepped past her chair and pushed it underneath her desk, squaring the back of the chair against the rim of the desk, adjusting it, making sure it was at the correct angle. She pulled back her curtains and rolled up the blinds, blinking for a second at the morning sun. She smoothed her duvet cover and adjusted a picture frame on her bedside table. Her eyes glazed slightly at the picture of herself, Chloe and Beca, arms around each other on the beach, taken the weekend before Beca's birthday. Her stomach rolled and her lip trembled a little at the sight of her girls. Yes, she and Beca had become good friends and Aubrey considered her a great asset to her life.

She took a few deep breaths as she gathered up the water glass from her desk and headed to her bedroom door. Bracing herself for the day ahead and the whirlwind that had become her life in recent weeks, she paused briefly, running a nervous hand over her stomach before stepping out into the narrow hall between the bedrooms and the living areas expecting the usual chaos and noise from her apartment, into a wall of silence. Silence that was actually deafening.

Temporarily thrown off, she paused, the urge to vomit lessening. She was pleased. Despite it being a Saturday, she was still out of bed at 6.00, had completed a difficult hours run (nothing to do with the Merlot, it must have been some dodgy prawns) before half an hour of weights and stretches. She then had a shower, a tidy of her college notes, a sort through of her laundry before leaving her bedroom at 8.00. Perfectly presented. Like every other morning. Today was going to be a busy day and she wanted to be organised. She wanted to run through some ideas for new Bella routines, she needed to call her father and she had to pop into the city to make a start on her Christmas shopping. Nothing like being prepared or being organised and it didn't matter that Christmas was still over three months away. Aubrey passed the closed doors of the rest of the apartment and made her way to the kitchen, placing her glass into the sink. Smoothing her shirt again, she reached into the cupboard for a mug and quickly filled it with coffee from the maker on her right.

Noting quickly that the coffee was hot and fresh, she knew someone else in the apartment must be awake. She took in her surroundings for a moment as she leant against the kitchen counter top, wrapping one arm around her waist as she sipped her coffee.

After deciding to come back to Barden for Grad School, both Chloe and Aubrey had decided to rent an apartment together; Aubrey having distinctly mellowed in the past few months and Chloe needing to be with Aubrey and the stability and comfort that she only got from her best friend. Aubrey's father, pleased that his only daughter was furthering her education, agreed to fund the apartment for them, on the proviso that Aubrey retain her "first in class" status. The apartment the two girls found was large, spacious, airy and just off campus. It had two large double bedrooms, three smaller bedrooms, a small room for storage, two full bathrooms as well as a huge open lounge and kitchen area, a study nook and double doors leading onto a large terrace, complete with hot tub and seating area. They had fallen in love with it immediately, despite not needing the extra space, but it was well under the budget that was offered so they decided to take it. It came in handy as one by one, their friends moved in as well. At first, Aubrey was horrified at the thought of a houseful of girls but now she found that having them around was a real comfort and actually a lot of fun.

She had made a roster with strict instructions for it being adhered to, before labelling it carefully, colour coding it and attached it with double strength to the refrigerator. She loved the beauty of a rule. The girls had enough respect for their Bella co-captain to do as they were told! Most of the time anyway. Aubrey had taken it upon herself to be the organiser of the apartment. She would make the cleaning lists, the cooking timetable and the shopping rotas. She had stopped short of organising a bathroom schedule but nobody actually minded being structured. It kept things orderly, neat and tidy. Posen style.

Fat Amy was the third person to join them, claiming one of the smaller bedrooms within a day of the girls moving in. Cynthia Rose and Stacie were next, offering to share one of the larger bedrooms after Chloe moved into the second small bedroom, pretending she preferred the view, but everyone knew it was because she just wanted as many people close to her as possible and had taken the hints from CR and Stacie when they said they would be share. Lilly moved in a week later, into the last small room, immediately installing a spy camera, double locks and a water sprinkler system. Aubrey remained in the largest room, which no body minded, because it was her father that was paying for it all in the first place and because she quickly installed a sofa bed in there for whenever Ashley, Jessica or Denise decided to stay, which was fairly regularly. Ashley and Jessica were renting one of the tiny student studio apartments on campus and Denise was sharing a space with her new girlfriend.

As Aubrey moved from the kitchen into the lounge area, straightening the sofa cushions and squaring up the coasters as she passed through, she heard a quiet sobbing coming from one of the bedrooms, just off the hallway. Taking a gulp of coffee, she quickly crossed to the door and stood outside. Aubrey heard Chloe crying.

Chloe _never_ cried.

Chloe Beale was the epitome of sunshine, rainbows, cookies, love, warmth, glitter and fairy wings all wrapped up in a person. She was happiness personified, a rolling wave of joy and laughter. She was a friend to everyone and she was everyone's friend. She took the time to get to know people and was an open book with her own heart and mind, verbalising her thoughts and occasionally over sharing. She instinctively knew when someone was hurting; the cerulean blue eyes boring into someone's soul until the reasons and truth would slip out before the troubled friend knew what had hit them. Her hugs were legendary, albeit occasionally painful, and she had no problems with invading someone's personal space.

She called her parents twice a week without fail, texted her brothers and sent them random things through the post just because she could. She wrote letters to her grandparents, knowing the technology age was too much for them to handle and just because she liked hand writing letters. She sent postcards to her friends, whether they lived with her or not. Chloe had the largest amount of Facebook friends out of anyone. She made friends with people that easily and simply that within ten minutes of knowing her, it felt like a lifetime. Ask her about any single person and she would recount something unique about any of them be it the first time they met, a single important date, or an amusing story. She never forgot a birthday. She never forgot an anniversary. She would remember important events and if the occasion warranted it, she would send a message.

Chloe was funny and warm. She would pull faces at people through windows. She would blow on a car window and leave a signature smiley face in the fog. She would draw heart shapes in dust. She would write silly words in the dirt or in the sand then take a photo and send it to someone. She would paint faces on rocks and leave them on peoples doorsteps. She decorated her room with photos of her friends and littered the apartment with memories. Chloe was the one who sourced the knick-knacks to their home; the cushions, rugs, ornaments, pictures; all beautiful, tasteful and nothing colour coordinated. It was her way of showing love to her friends. To an outsider, it may have looked like a bunch of mismatched tat, junk, unwanted items but from the large collection of seashells and rocks to the movie posters to the framed song lyric pictures to the 'borrowed' street sign to the massive collection of colourful decorated photos; it was all Chloe and her love for her friends and their memories.

She would play music too loud, singing her heart out when she thought no one was home. She watched movies that invoked huge belly laughs, causing anyone watching with her to jump out of their skin, and some that made her cry, usually wrapped up in the form of something Disneyesque or about puppies. She would dance like a crazy person if she felt like it and weirdly it was usually in her underwear, never apologising if someone else saw her. On occasion she would drink too much and drunk text her friends to tell them how much she loved them or how beautiful they were and would always be mortified the next day. No one cared, she was never horrible. Chloe wore her heart on her sleeve and was open, warm and loving.

Chloe was the one who planned the fun aspects of the apartment. Whether it be 'Movie and M&M Marathon' night, 'Tequila and Mexican' night, 'Spa and Shot' night, or one of their pretty legendary game nights, Chloe organised it all. She didn't care if just one other person turned up or all nine of them were there, she put all her love and dedication into it. It kept her busy. Chloe _needed_ to be kept busy. It stopped her missing Beca and kept her from worrying so much, even if it was an hour or so. Her friends didn't mind Chloe's need to be organised. She was too damn good at it for it to be annoying. Not one of them doubted that it was Chloe who kept them together as a group, especially when the going got tough. Before Aubrey mellowed, she would send the girls personal messages after a Bella practice, telling them how good each girl was. She never lied to Aubrey about doing it, wouldn't go behind her friends back like that, Chloe was far, far, far too honest for that. And weirdly Aubrey had never said anything, secretly pleased at the good cop, bad cop routine they had going on. Aubrey knew that Chloe's friendliness was what kept the girls coming back day after day to the Bella's. Why else would they be there; certainly not for Aubrey to shout at them, each and every day.

She was also incredibly smart; ridiculously clever without being intimidating and was currently top of all her classes. She didn't really have to study to breeze through classes and exams but she liked to learn. She liked to impart knowledge but never rammed it down peoples' throats. She could have gone to Harvard, Yale or Stanford but she chose to stay at Barden to be closer to her friends, and Tom of course. Tom had graduated already but was keen to stay close by to his girlfriend. He already had a job in the city and would happily commute at any time to see his Chloe; both having got over their steamy hook ups in the grim showers of the dorm rooms and progressed to a proper relationship with dates and weekends away.

Chloe simply loved that her friends were together. It wasn't well known but she was a worrier by nature and she actually needed people to be close by to her. For her own support, not that she would ever admit that to anyone, as she often felt that she needed to be the mother hen in the group. Chloe was the antithesis to Aubrey's rigid demeanour. She didn't like the dynamic of a group when one person was missing; it never felt right.

That was why she was now in tears as she sat at her desk, laptop open with a half written email on the screen, gnawing at a pen, desperately trying to not make too much noise so not to disturb anyone, because someone was missing from her life and that was someone she really did care about ... loved even.

Aubrey knocked softly as she opened the door to Chloe's room.

"Chloe?"

Chloe jumped a foot in the air and threw her pen across the desk with a squeak. She hadn't heard Aubrey knocking and hadn't known she was awake when she made fresh coffee half an hour ago. Which was silly really considering you could set your watch by Aubrey's timings. Chloe spun around in her chair and Aubrey was shocked to see the dark circles under her best friends' eyes.

"Hey Bree." Chloe smiled, despite the obvious tear streaks running down her face. Aubrey moved into the room, quietly clicking the door shut behind her. "How are you this morning?"

"How long have you been up?" She asked her redheaded friend, ignoring her question.

"I ... I'd ... I never went to bed." Chloe replied, wiping her face with her hands, and administering a smile to her lips. "I thought I'd send a couple of emails on that list of hotels in Las Vegas. You know; make a start before I get leave for the Memphis festival this morning. I just decided on a whim to try there because of the music convention this weekend. I might try to go there next weekend. I didn't realise the time. Then I was beyond tired so I just stayed up and did some more."

"How many did you do?" Aubrey questioned, as she approached Chloe's desk, looking down at the list of hotels, all neatly crossed off.

"About twelve hundred ..." Chloe said, motioning with her hand towards the list.

"Chloe ..."

"I know Bree. But I have to find her. Something happened to her. She left everything behind and hasn't made contact once. Not once. I can feel it. Something isn't good. Beca wouldn't have just left us. She wouldn't have left me. Or Jesse." Chloe said, fresh tears running down her face.

"Chloe, we've tried everything. We've looked everywhere around her. Beca doesn't want to be found. It's been twelve weeks. She isn't coming back." Aubrey said as she ran her arms around Chloe's shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. Chloe reached up to cling onto Aubrey's shirt. "I don't really understand why you are so upset about this."

"Aubrey!"

"I am sorry, that came out wrong. I mean, I know Chloe, I miss her too. I kind of loved the little midget. And that infuriates me in itself. But she's an adult. She chose to take off. She chose not to contact one of us. She chose to leave."

"I know Bree. But what if she's been in an accident? What if she's hurt and doesn't remember who she is?"

"Chloe, we've been over this a hundred times. I said I would help you in your mad endeavour to search the entire United States to find her, but it's been months and you've not even scratched the surface. Who knows what goes on in that maddening head of yours? And have you thought about what you are going to do when you find her? What you are going to say? She may not want to be found?"

"She doesn't know what happened that night. She must think that Jesse died in that accident. Bree, she ran away on her birthday. Her birthday Bree. With nothing. She had nothing. No clothes. No phone. No money." Chloe snapped, counting the items off her fingers. "I have to find her. I don't know why. But wouldn't you want someone looking for you if you have left thinking you had gotten your boyfriend killed. Wouldn't you want to know someone loved you enough to worry about you and care for you and were willing to stop at nothing to find you? To tell you the truth? Hmm?"

Aubrey sighed. It was the same conversation every time she brought the subject up with Chloe. She couldn't stop her if she wanted to and she didn't want to if she was honest with herself but realistically, how on earth would Chloe find Beca? In a country of millions. Chloe had the idea weeks ago to start emailing hotels, motels, B&B's and lodges in major cities with a plea to help find their friend; in the hope that Beca was just sulking in a hotel, waiting for someone to come and find her or perhaps she was working in a dead end job and simply needed a kick up the backside to come back home. Chloe had started on the east coast and had spent most of the summer weekends flying up and down the country hitting some of the larger cities in the hope of finding Beca. She was lucky that she had a trust fund from an old uncle that was funding these weekends away. But Chloe was exhausted. Not that she would tell anyone.

"Bree?"

"Yes. Sorry. I was miles away. Sorry, what did you say?"

"I was just saying that I wanted to finish getting the last of these emails out before I go to the airport. Would you mind giving me a lift today? I am too tired to drive and don't feel I could."

"Yes, of course." Aubrey replied, tucking a kiss on the top of Chloe's head. "I will get you some coffee and let you get ready. And just for the record, I do care. I love Beca too."

"Not in the same way I do." Chloe mumbled into the crook of her elbow but Aubrey caught the words, knowing that Beca had gripped hold of Chloe's heart in a different way to anyone else.

As Aubrey walked from Chloe's room, she turned to see her best friend furiously typing the remainder of the email. Chloe had sent tens of thousands of emails in the past few weeks, explaining to whoever the email ended up with that they were looking for a friend who was in trouble, and if anyone had any information about their friend, to please contact her immediately. She enclosed pictures too, in the hope that someone recognised her and understood the heartfelt plea in her words and would contact her back. She had had a few responses from people wishing her well but with no news.

Aubrey felt it was a pointless task and that Beca had probably started a new life somewhere without them, but that was a feeling she forced herself to believe to stop her thinking about what the other possibilities could be.

Although she did understand what Chloe was alluding to; Beca _had_ been friendly towards the Bella's, especially her and Chloe and she had seemed to enjoy her birthday party until she had run away after thinking Jesse was dead and what was she doing for money? How was she getting by? What if she had to turn to prostitution ... oh goodness! The familiar feeling rumbled in her throat as she crossed quickly to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. Aca-crap.

Chloe was ready with her weekend bag packed an hour later. Feeling better and more awake after a shower and hair wash, she was dressed casually in jeans, flip flops and a blue top which matched her eyes. Despite looking tired, she had a glow about her. The determined set of her mouth belied the sadness in her eyes. Her hair tied up in a loose, scruffy ponytail gave her the casual look she was aiming for, a look intended to hide the pain she felt in her heart. Chloe sent a text to Tom saying hello and that she would see him when she got back on Sunday night. She slipped her phone back into her pocket, checked for any replies to her emails on her iPad before loading it into her handbag, picked up the hoodie she laid out on her bed and pulled her bedroom door closed behind her.

"Bree? I'm ready to go." Chloe called out softly, pausing at Aubrey's door so to not wake the others early on a Saturday morning. She heard Amy's door open as she walked on the soft carpet past Aubrey's door, towards the lounge.

"Hooroo Red. Where you off to? You gonna find our alt chick this time?"

"Hope so Amy. Memphis this weekend. Music festival. She might be there. You know … being musical stuff and all. You keep an eye on the girls for me. And I'll see you Sunday night." Chloe leaned forward and kissed Amy on the cheek and the Aussie wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"Take care." Amy said as she wandered off to the bathroom as Chloe knocked softly on Aubrey's door.

"Yes? Come in." came the muffled reply from behind the door. Chloe pushed open the door and was surprised to see Aubrey throwing things into a small bag. Chloe placed her bag at her feet as she spoke.

"Bree? What are you doing …?"

"Coming with you. Don't question it. Don't say anything. You are right. I'll book a ticket when we get to the airport. Now, come on before I change my mind."

Chloe stood for a moment before entering Aubrey's room, almost tripping up over her bag as she flung her arms around her best friend. Aubrey, nearly bowled over by Chloe's exuberance, just smiled as she embraced Chloe, _understanding_ finally what Chloe was trying to do, _knowing_ that Chloe would do anything in her power to help Beca, or herself if she needed it and knowing that everyone needed a Chloe in their lives. She zipped up her bag with a flourish.

Minutes later, they were walking out of their front door, towards Aubrey's dark blue Cadillac, a gift from her father for her 21st birthday. Aubrey slipped into the driver's seat after throwing her weekend bag on the back seat. Chloe placed her own bag by her feet as she slid into the passenger seat. As Aubrey put the car into drive, Chloe placed her hand over Aubrey's, wordlessly thanking her. Aubrey swallowed deeply, nervously drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, quelling the queasiness in her stomach.

They drove to the airport in silence, Chloe spending the time with her eyes closed, head resting on the window, running through the scenarios in her head. She couldn't really fathom why she was so intent on getting Beca back but there was just _something_ about Beca Mitchell that tugged at Chloe's heartstrings and Chloe tried to think what it was. Why hadn't Beca gotten in touch? OK, so she had left her phone behind but she must have known that someone would have kept an eye on it and she would have remembered her own number. Aubrey and Chloe had kept Beca's phone permanently plugged in at their apartment. They had taken and stored most of Beca's things at their apartment. To keep them safe. To keep her as close by as possible.

Arriving at the airport some twenty minutes later, Aubrey quickly pulled into a parking space, switched the engine off and shook Chloe's shoulder to stir her, as she could see she had fallen asleep on the window, if the open mouth and dribble was anything to go by. She knew her redheaded friend was exhausted and was extra glad that she had decided to buck up her ideas and come along for the weekend. Her chores could wait, they weren't that desperately important.

Alighting from the car, the two girls walked to the terminal. Chloe, already having purchased her ticket, dragged her feet towards the various coffee shops littering the right hand side of the terminal, desperate for a coffee and a snack as the lack of sleep was clearly taking its toll on her. She joined the short queue, spying the muffins that she knew Aubrey would like. Meanwhile Aubrey went to the Southwest desk to purchase a ticket for the same flight as Chloe. There were only three people in front of her but Aubrey's fingers tensed around her overnight bag as she waited in line. There was only an hour to go before the flight departed but being Aubrey, she didn't like to leave everything to the last minute. She had just approached the desk when she heard a familiar shriek to her right. Spinning her head in time to see Chloe running full pelt across the terminal towards her, dropping her hoodie in her effort to reach Aubrey before she purchased a flight ticket, everyone in the vicinity turning to look at the red head.

"AUBREY! STOP!" Chloe screamed as she bundled into her blonde friend at top speed, not slowing down on her approach. Aubrey let out a huff as she stiffened and straightened herself, looking into Chloe's wide, panic stricken eyes.

"Chloe? For serious …"

"AUBREY! NoMemphisweneedtogotoVegas. Now. _Look_." Chloe puffed as she showed Aubrey her phone.


	3. Jesse's Girl

**A/N –In comparison to Chapter 2, this one is really short. Sorry! It was unintentional but I needed to introduce Jesse back into the story properly at this point. Partly because I had a rather panicky PM begging me not to kill off Jesse. He's alive and kicking ****:)**

**Gossipssweetlips – your review beat me to posting this chapter! It's not quite what you asked for but all will become clear as the story progresses ****:)**

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**.o0o. Chapter 3 .o0o.**

Jesse Swanson wrapped his arm around the brown-haired woman he was currently sitting next to on the bench overlooking the duck pond in the park. The couple had met at the campus coffee shop a couple of hours ago and decided to take a walk to the park. Jesse turned his face to the sun, hungrily soaking up the heat and the goodness. He looked over at his newly acquired (nine weeks in reality but Jesse was quite smitten and it felt like brand new) girlfriend and she turned to look at him, surprised to see such an intense look on his face.

"You OK there buddy?" Elena asked, trying to get a read on his face.

Accepting that Beca had left him was one of the hardest things that Jesse had had to do. He got it. She didn't love him. He had seen the look of horror on her face when he had gotten down on one knee at her birthday party. He doesn't know what possessed him to get down on one knee. He thought she would have thought it funny to open the box he held towards her. It was only a pair of black musical note earrings, a joke gift he had found. He honestly thought with her sense of humour she would have guffawed at him before calling him a weirdo and telling him to get up. He didn't expect her to run from the room. She had been acting weird since they slept together but wouldn't talk to him about it. He knew he had been too drunk that night to have been at his best but he had hoped for a repeat performance to show her some of his moves.

After she had run out of the room, Chloe and Aubrey had followed closely behind her and he had slowly stood from his position on the floor, fully understanding the back-firedyness of his plan. He had risen awkwardly to hear soft murmurings and he had felt Donald's hand on his back as he leaned into his ear.

"Dude. Embarrassment later. Go after her."

He crossed the dance floor, fully aware of all eyes on him as he paused for a moment, intending to address the group and explain about the earrings being a joke, but realising that explaining it to Beca was far more urgent.

He had left quickly after that, half running out of the door. He had looked left and right up the street but couldn't see or hear Beca. Knowing he had freaked her out, he cussed at himself for being so stupid. He had worked tirelessly to win over Beca and get her to break down some of her walls. And yes, the last month had been a bit weird with her being a little closed off to him and the past couple of days, she had all but ignored him, but he did love her. And he needed to make this right.

He turned left and walked up the street to the crossroads, crossing over and heading back towards Barden University. As he approached the left hand side of the drama theatre, he could hear raised voices and followed the sounds. As he turned the corner, he immediately saw Beca pull away from Chloe's grasp and run towards him. She hit him with a soft 'ooomph' and he saw the desperately sad look in her eye.

"Jesse ..."

"Becs, listen, we need to talk."

"NO JESSE! I can't right now. This has all gone wrong. You've made a mistake in loving me. I'll ruin your life. This has got out of hand. I can't be who you want me to be. I'm a terrible person. Please leave me alone." Beca yelled, pushing him wildly away with her hands.

Jesse attempted to grab at her wrists, which was a mistake. Beca pushed him harder this time and yelled as she ran away.

"I don't love you Jesse. Fuck this. Fuck you!"

He blanched at the words as he looked over to Chloe and Aubrey, who stood a few feet away watching the altercation. Chloe moved towards him as if to talk to him but he didn't need her right now. He needed to speak to Beca to find out what the hell was going on. He saw Beca at the crossroads and turned to run after her, ignore Chloe's desperate pleas behind him and Aubrey calling out his name. He picked up the pace as he saw her cross the road, walking surprisingly quickly for someone as short as she was.

He reached the intersection and began to cross over the road, so completely intent on reaching Beca before she ran away again, that he hadn't noticed the pedestrian sign was on red. He didn't even hear the beer truck as it rumbled down the road. He didn't hear the horn of the truck until the last second when he stood, frozen in the middle of the intersection.

He only heard the hiss of the brakes as the front of the truck came within two feet of his face. He remained glued to the spot as the truck ploughed into his chest, knocking him flat to the ground. He was thankful now that his head had collided with the hard floor and that he was knocked out instantly as the rest of the truck passed over him, leaving his unconscious body intact.

He found out later that Beca had screamed his name as the truck hit him, had run over and collapsed on his body, feeling for a pulse in his neck. She had found none because his body had gone into shock and the pulse in his neck was so weak that even the doctors struggled to understand it later on. To the untrained expert, they would have felt nothing. He also discovered that Chloe and Aubrey had also run over to him, Aubrey pulling out her phone to call for help as Chloe pulled Beca away from him, wrapping her arms around her hysterical friend. He also learnt that Beca had pulled away from Chloe for the second time that evening and was up and running. And never coming back.

Jesse shuddered at the memory and forced himself to focus back on his new girlfriend who was cupping his cheek with her hand, wiping away the tears he hadn't felt leak from his eyes.

"Sorry. Flashback. Urgh." He said as smiled up at her, grateful she was there. He had loved Beca, had wanted to make it right with her, but the fact that she had run from him, even when she had seen the accident happen, that didn't sit well with him and he was now just angry at her for running. OK, that was a lie. He wasn't angry, just disappointed. He knew that Chloe was searching for her, firmly believing that she was in trouble but Jesse had moved on. Or that is what he told himself.

He had been in the hospital for just over a week and had missed his final exam due to severe concession and some cuts that needed stitches and monitoring. Barden had agreed to an extension if he had taken the summer study programme and met the criteria for the next semester. He had met Elena on the first day there, ignored the fact that she was a taller version of Beca and had taken a chance on getting to know her better.

They spent most days together. Elena was on the same course as Jesse, her love of movies even stronger than his. She knew about Beca and the love he had bestowed on her before they broke up. He was honest about that and she gave him time to grieve for his first love before they became an official couple. Despite Beca still holding a special place in his heart, he had moved on. He wished her well in his thoughts, hoping that she had managed to start a new life away and that she was happy.

Turning his attention back to the girl who was currently snuggled into his arm, he kissed the top of her head. Elena was perfect. She was happy-go-lucky, enjoyed the simple things in life, loved spending time with Jesse, they never argued, she never questioned him or challenged him, she laughed at all his jokes, he didn't even have to think about anything when she was around.

And he decided to remain thinking about the positives in Elena as he wrapped his arm back around her shoulders. It wasn't fair to keep thinking about Beca when Elena was around. He would save his thoughts for when he was on his own, as he usually did when he would yearn for Beca. The girl who did challenge him, did question him, made him fight for her affections, argued her point, made him feel alive, the girl who he loved with all of his heart and ...

Jesse shook his head to clear his thoughts. He loved Elena now. Elena. Some people were surprised that he had appeared to have moved on from Beca so quickly, after spending a year chasing her. But Jesse needed to move on. He was about to suggest they move from their spot to get something to eat when the phone in his pocket started to vibrate. He pulled away from Elena for a moment as he reached to grab his phone. He looked confused. Why would Chloe be calling him now when they hadn't spoken in weeks?

* * *

** A/N – Poor Jesse. Does or doesn't he still love Beca? He doesn't know the reasons why she ran, why she stayed away. Is he using Elena? Stay tuned to find out!**


	4. The Pregnant Pause

**A/N – Eeek, sorry, another really long chapter. I've tried (promise) to divide this one into two but there wasn't a convenient stopping point. Sorry! Even I feel asleep as I was re reading it! ****:)**

* * *

** .o0o. Chapter 4 .o0o.**

Beca woke up when the hunger pangs ravaged her entire tired, thin body. She heard car doors slamming outside and knew that today was Saturday. How? Because some dumb shit had just shouted it across the parking lot outside for some unfathomable reason. She pulled the blankets closer and willed herself back to sleep, anything to ignore the fact that she hadn't eaten anything substantial for four days. She had just $12 left out of her money and after that ran out; she didn't know what she was going to do. And if truth be told, she didn't have the energy to worry anymore. She had no other options.

She had tried to find work but she had been so sick for weeks that the one job she had been offered refused to let her start after she turned up two hours late. She didn't blame them. Without any ID, she struggled to get people to entertain the idea of employing her and she didn't own any decent clothes for work. Jobs were scarce as all the students in the local area flooded the city, looking for work over the summer. She had no experience to fall back on. She had sold her one expensive ring and her bracelet in order to eat. The rent was paid for another two days but after that, she was going to be on the streets. Having no phone meant she had no numbers but who was she going to call? Knowing her phone was probably disconnected by now as she hadn't paid a bill in months, she didn't even bother to ring it. Didn't want to waste the dollar on a phone call. What if they didn't care? Hadn't even noticed she was gone. Didn't want to see her after what she had done to them.

She had left everyone abruptly, rudely. And Beca knew that what she had done was unacceptable. She thought about Chloe and that saddened her. The look on her face as she had torn herself out of Chloes grasp on the night of her birthday, it ached Beca to her core. Her eyes glazed over slightly as she thought back to her birthday again.

**.o0o.**

The day of her birthday had started like any other Saturday. She had woken in the morning in her dorm, Kimmy-Jin noticeably absent so that was a treat. She had looked over to her clock noting it was already past 9 am. She remembered feeling a bit queasy but then Chloe _had_ cooked dinner on Friday night (borrowing the chemistry lab's Bunsen burners was possible not one of Chloe's finest ideas) and cooking was one thing that Chloe wasn't brilliant at. They had listened to music and talked until late. She had left Chloe's dorm to go to bed, despite Chloe's protests that she shouldn't wake up on her birthday alone. Beca half expected Jesse to be there, waiting at her dorm door but then she hadn't exactly let him know she was going to be at Chloe's and he was probably a little pissed about that.

She got out of bed, padded to her closet and pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a bright red button down shirt, collected her shower things and headed to the bathroom for a shower. She was back in her dorm before 9.30 am to dry her hair and put on her make up.

The red whirlwind arrived a few minutes later, letting herself into Beca's dorm, full of excitement about it being Beca's birthday and laden down with homemade fudge and gifts.

"Did you make this?" Beca had asked cautiously as she accepted the piece the fudge currently being ground into her mouth.

"No, Bree did. Why?"

"No reason!" Beca said laughing and chewing the delicious sweet, wondering where Aubrey had made fudge, seeing as they didn't have cooking facilities in the dorms. But she was Aubrey Posen. Who was to question anything about her?!

"Happy Birthday Beca!" Chloe squealed as she wrapped her entire body around Beca's almost knocking her to the floor.

"Thanks!" Beca had said, feeling warmth spread through her as she received the overly exuberant hug.

The rest of the day had been simple. She had gone over to her father's for lunch, taking Jesse with her. Even Shelia was friendlier than usual as they chatted casually in the kitchen while her dad and her boyfriend where in the den, discussing sports. Beca had felt a pang of guilt in her gut as she knew Jesse knew nothing about sports, except what he had picked up from his beloved movies and it was her dad's favourite pastime. She had wanted to spend the time with her dad, which surprised her. He was leaving Barden for a few months, participating in a professor 'job swap' with a fellow academic from Durham, in the north of England and she wanted to spend time with him before he left.

Around 3.30 pm, Beca had left Jesse back at his dorm after he had driven them home and had uncharacteristically hurried over to Chloe's dorm for the afternoon. Aubrey had joined them and one by one, the other Bella's had turned up, crowding into Chloe's small room. She hadn't noticed Aubrey and Chloe slip out at around 6 pm. It was an hour later when Amy literally picked her up off the floor and threw her over her shoulder before bundling her out of the door that she realised Chloe hadn't come to her rescue and that she was missing.

Beca didn't really have time to think about it as she was taken outside of the building, and thrown into the back of Amy's van. She sat rubbing her elbow as the others clambered in and began demanding answers as to what was going on.

Two minutes and a dozen unanswered questions later, Amy pulled up against the kerb, jumped out and flung open the van door. It was only then that Beca realised that all of her friends had organised a secret party for her birthday and she pulled Chloe in for a hug before the red head could say anything.

**.o0o.**

She was close to drifting off again when there was a knock at the door.

"Housekeeping."

Beca grumbled and was about to throw the blankets off to open to the door and say no thank you when the door was unlocked and quietly pushed open. The housekeeper, Maggie, was about to walk into the room when she noticed Beca's form still in bed.

"Oh, I am sorry ma'am. I didn't know ..."

"No, it's fine. I didn't say anything. If you can give me a second, I'll leave and let you do what you need to do." Beca interrupted, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, reaching for her jeans.

"Ma'am; I don't mean to pry none but is you all okays over in here?" Maggie asked as she nudged the cart against the door, turning her back for a second while Beca slipped into her jeans. "I don'ts mean to be rudes at all, but you've been here for months and I've only seen you leaves the rooms like twice."

"I'm fine. Thank you." Beca said, not really understanding the sincerity in the housekeepers' voice. She had seen her a lot in the past few weeks as she had knocked daily and usually Beca just asked for soap, toilet paper or perhaps a packet of complimentary cookies. That would be her usual meal for the day.

"Okays ma'am." Maggie said, watching as Beca shakily made her way to the door. Beca felt woozy and wobbly but she made it out to the fresh air and sat on the kerb outside her room, tucking her legs underneath herself and folding her hands into her lap. She leaned against the porch post and closed her eyes, drinking in the morning sun. Despite living in the same clothes for weeks, Beca made sure they were kept clean and tidy so she didn't draw attention to herself but she knew she must look a sight. She subconsciously twisted the ring on her middle finger of her right hand, a gift from Chloe. God, she missed Chloe.

Maggie busied herself in the room, changing the sheets and towels, wiping over the surfaces and emptying the trash. As usual, she just saw the cookie wrapper in the bin and sighed. The girl sitting on the kerb outside was much younger than her own children were and it was so obvious to her that she was in trouble. Noting that the room was spotless again, she pushed her cart outside and turned towards the girl.

"Ma'am, I'm done." Maggie paused for a moment or two to look at the strikingly beautiful girl, resting against the porch post with her eyes closed. "Ma'am?"

For reasons unknown, Maggie reached her hand down to touch Beca's shoulder. Beca didn't move at first but as Maggie shook her shoulder gently, she ever so slowly slipped down the post until she was flat on the floor. Maggie knew she had fainted as she bent down to place a warm hand on Beca's forehead. Beca was stone cold. She knitted her eyebrows for a moment and took in Beca's appearance; the hollowness in her cheeks, the outline of her ribs showing through her thin shirt, the tiny arms, and her baggy skinny jeans. She noted that the top couple of buttons of her jeans were undone and she could make out the unmistakable hint of a baby belly underneath.

"Oh young 'un. You are in a pickle." She said to Beca and leant further forward to scoop up the girl in her arms. She carefully picked up the young girl, noting she was hardly any weight at all and carried her back into the motel room, laid her gently down on the bed and teased Beca onto her side. She quickly walked across the room, into the bathroom, filled a plastic cup with water and ran a flannel under the cold tap.

She stepped back into the room and moved swiftly to the bed, sinking to her knees before the still form of the young girl on the bed. Maggie had been in Beca's situation, had been a teenage mother, possibly knew what was going through the young girls mind. She pressed the cool, damp cloth to Beca's forehead and noted that she seemed to be coming around.

"It's okays ma'am. I gots you. Sssh. Sssh." Maggie unconsciously rubbed the small of Beca's back lovingly, treating her as she would one of her own children. She watched as Beca's eyes flickered open and looked straight at her.

Beca flinched at the proximity of the stranger in front of her and rolled over to create a space between them. Having been without a human touch for so long, all of Beca's walls where firmly up and reinforced. She didn't want to appear rude to the friendly, concerned face, inches away from her own but she certainly did not want to be within breathing distance of someone who she had just met.

"Um ..." Beca gulped. "What ... what happened?"

"You passed out ma'am. On the street outside. Thought it best you be in here."

"Oh."

"I'll call 911 ma'am. Just wait a moment." Maggie said, reaching towards her pocket for her phone.

"No! Please don't. I'm fine. I'm just ..." Beca started as she began to sit up. The familiar weariness flooded her entire body and she lay back down again.

"You ain't fine ma'am."

"Really, I am. I'm just tired. Been working hard. You know?"

"Ma'am ..." Maggie began.

"It's Beca."

"Pardon?"

"My name. It's Beca."

"Well, okays then Beca. I'm Maggie. Maggie Emerson." She said as she handed the cup of water to Beca, who took it, silently thanking her with her steely blue eyes. Noting to herself that she wasn't trying to bolt out of the door, Beca knew some of Chloe's life and love lessons had ironically rubbed off on her.

"Well, now we is past the first names stage, you wants to tell me what's up with you? Cos I know it ain't work that made you pass out."

"I'm fine ... really." Beca said, placing the now empty cup of water on the bed, before beginning to sit up. "I just got up too quick."

"Beca ... sugar ..."

"Really, I am OK." Beca said insistently, scooting to the end of the bed to stand. Maggie, who had remained on her knees the whole time, stood at the same time, catching Beca as she began to sway when she was upright.

"Listen Beca, I haves myself four young 'un's. I can tells when things are not right. Please trust me. I can help you."

For the first time in months, Beca felt her resolve slip a little as she leaned into Maggie. Her legs were so wobbly and her stomach was lurching and grumbling through lack of food. It was so loud that she was sure that Maggie had heard it, despite her new friends' obvious attempts to ignore it.

"Sits." Maggie said, pushing her back onto the bed. "My shift is over. I have no places else to be. So let me be your friend and you can tell me what's troubling that mind of yours."

Beca sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as she leant back on her elbows. She noticed that the top buttons of her jeans were undone and her shirt had ridden up, exposing her small rounded belly. She reached to pull her shirt down over her stomach. Maggie noticed this but didn't comment. Beca's stomach growled again. Maggie looked at Beca properly, taking in her pale colour and warn look.

"How long was it since you ate something?" She asked kindly. Beca flinched and was about to lie when her dogged determination crumbled even further and she admitted it had been a while.

"Stay here. I've got my lunch in the office. I've gots plenty. We'll share it while you tell me your story. No protestings." Maggie finished as she watched Beca's mouth fly open to offer an objection. "Please stay here while I fetch my basket."

Beca nodded, her eyes darting to the door as she felt sheer humiliation run through her. Maggie sighed.

"Looks, I knows it nones of my business but you look like you need some company and all. Even if it's justs for a minute or two. So, I am going to get my lunch and share it with you and you can tell me what's elses is bothering you if you wants to. Or we just sits."

Beca nodded, too weak to argue or complain. She had never realised how much her pregnancy had drained her. She had lost so much weight trying to keep the baby alive. It was strange that while everything around her had turned to shit, the baby inside her had clung to life.

Maggie squeezed her arm, glided off the end of the bed and walked to the door, closing it quietly behind her. Her heart was breaking but she would do what she could to help her new friend. Pushing her cart, she walked swiftly across the parking lot to the reception lobby. She deposited her housekeeping cart outside, pushed open the door and entered the cool interior.

"That you Maggie?" called the voice from the tiny bathroom off to the left of the reception.

"Yes Pete." Maggie called back. "I'm gonna takes ma break early, if that's okays with you."

"Whatever. Just check the emails before you go."

Maggie didn't mind Pete's bluntness. They had worked together for twenty-one years at the same motel, Pete being the owner. He had been the only person to offer her a job when she had spent days traipsing around all the hotels on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Her daughter was just over a year old but Pete didn't seem to mind about her, as long as the job was done. He did take notice that she was just sixteen and felt a fatherly concern wash over him. He offered her a room for a few weeks while she got settled and gave her away at her wedding six years later. Since then, she had three more children and only took a month off with each one before coming back to work. He didn't care that she more often than not brought the children with her. The job got done each day. He didn't mind!

Maggie moved around the lobby to the other side of the reception desk. She sat on the scruffy chair and pulled herself towards the desk. She wiggled the mouse and the computer screen came to life. There were only a couple of unread emails in the inbox and those were both junk mail. She deleted them both and was just about to close the inbox down when she noticed that Pete had opened an email earlier and had forgotten to close it. She clicked on the email and was about to press the red cross at the top when she caught the title of the email.

_"Looking For My Friend – Please Help Us Find Beca Mitchell"_

Curiosity getting the better of her, she scrolled through the first few lines of the email before she saw a picture attached at the bottom of the message. The girl looked similar to the Beca in room 9. Surprise pausing her movements for a while, she read the message.

_Dear Hotel Owner, Customer Service Manager, Friend, _

_Please take a moment to read my message and help me find my best friend, Beca Mitchell. Beca is nineteen years old and is a student at Barden University, here in Atlanta, Georgia. After a surprise birthday party, she witnessed a tragic accident, which she believes was her fault, causing the death of her boyfriend. She left, thinking she was responsible but he wasn't killed, just badly hurt (he has since recovered and is doing very well)._

_We have been looking for Beca for months and we just want to know she is safe. We need her to know she is loved and very much missed by her friends and her family. Beca left with nothing. No money, save for a few dollars in her pocket, no phone, no clothes. Beca is a warm, loving, friendly person who is so important to us all but is probably so frightened and alone right now, she won't let you see any of the qualities she possesses. She is a runner (although she has never strayed far from home) so please don't be surprised if she takes off if you approach her. It's just her way of coping. She may be surly. She won't bite._

_I am emailing all of the hotels in your area in the hope that you have seen my friend, Beca Mitchell. I enclose a copy of the most recent picture of her. On the day she left, she was wearing a red shirt and black skinny jeans. She has lots of ear piercings and a few tattoos. _

_I do understand that this email may make you uncomfortable but all I ask is if you have seen her, is to let me know. My contact details are below. If you don't want to tell us exactly where she is, just point us in the right direction of what city she is in, and my friends and I will come and find her ourselves. I thank you, wholeheartedly, for taking the time to read through my email. _

_God bless you._

_Chloe Beale _

As Maggie studied the photograph again, she was convinced that the girl in the picture was the same girl who was currently waiting for her back in her motel room. As she thought for a moment on what she should do, she noticed that the email had been replied to. She clicked on the sent items and saw that Pete had sent a reply to Chloe Beale. She chuckled as she saw Pete's brief email.

_Bird in room 9 at the Whole Year Inn, Vegas looks like your friend. It's off Blake Road. Has lots of ear monstrosities. Quite fit. She's here until Monday, if you want to get her._

A chill ran through Maggie as she thought about Beca. Maybe she didn't want to be found. She wasn't cross at Pete, but he really shouldn't have given away her location. This whole thing might have been a hoax? Who was to say that Beca hadn't left home due to a violent home life? Just because the email said it was from a friend, didn't necessarily mean it was. But then, she also knew that she watched far too many crime shows on television, listened to too many conspiracy theories. So Maggie jotted down the number on the email, fully intending to put it into her phone and call this Chloe Beale when she was at home later.

Closing down the emails, she rose from the threadbare chair and stretched for a moment, pondering on what to do. She remembered the task at hand and stepped into the small storage room behind the reception desk, picking up a thermos of soup and her lunch basket filled with goodies. She shouted to Pete that she was going and left the lobby. Crossing the car park, she quickly made her way back to Beca's room, knocking softly on the door when she arrived.

There was no answer.

Maggie pressed her ear to the door, listening for any sounds from within the room. She should have anticipated that Beca might just run and felt stupid. She knocked softly again and waited. She was about to leave when the door opened a crack and there was Beca, blinking at the bright sunshine.

Maggie pushed open the door and entered the room as Beca crossed to sit back on the bed, clasping her hands around her knees, hugging them to her chest. Maggie pulled up the chair that was by the small table towards the bed and placed her lunch items next to Beca before sitting.

"Eats." She said simply. Beca looked down at the items that Maggie had left by her side and felt guilty.

"Come on. It's okays. You needs to eats." Maggie repeated, sensing the hesitation in Beca. She stood, moved over to her basket, unloading it quickly. She took out some cheese, ham, grapes, crackers and cookies and laid it out on the bed.

"I've always run." Beca said, hugging her knees tighter to her chest, as she watched Maggie for a moment. "I've done some dreadful things in my life. I've made some terrible mistakes. People have been hurt because of me."

"Oh sugar, I don't think ..." Maggie paused, not meaning to interrupt the girls' story but not wanting to tell her about the email. She shoved some crackers in Beca's hand instead.

"I'm from Atlanta. Well, originally, I'm from Maine. I lived there with my mother. We ..." Beca began, not really sure where all of the words were coming from. "... but I was at University in Atlanta. Last year was my freshman year. I made a lot of friends. Some really good friends ..." She trailed off as her thoughts ran amok in her memory. Maggie just waited, watching her face. "I did some terrible things to them. I got someone ... killed. It was an accident but it was my fault. He was running to catch up with me. He got killed by a truck ... I couldn't find a pulse ... I loved him. And he is dead because of me. So I ran ... I couldn't stay. My friends tried to make me wait but I ran. I ran to the bus station. I bought a ticket to Los Angeles. I got the bus. Had to sit next to this really smelly kid ... he fidgeted for most of the way. I couldn't sleep. I felt so sick. I was three days on the bus. Aiming for LA. We stopped off at the bus depot in downtown Vegas to transfer to another bus and I knew there were a couple of hours before we were due to leave. I needed to get some sleep so I lay down on a bench ... I didn't wake up for 9 hours. The bus had gone without me. I couldn't transfer my ticket and I couldn't justify spending any more money on getting to LA. I am not stupid enough to hitchhike. So I found this place. Paid my rent up front. And I hid. Like the coward I am. I don't want anyone to know I am here. I've got things I need to sort out. I just haven't had the energy to sort them out."

As Beca finished her story, she idly picked at the rest of the food that Maggie had pushed into her hands as she spoke.

"How far along are you?" Maggie asked quietly.

"Sorry?"

"How many weeks?" Maggie asked again as Beca's face flamed. Beca thought she had hidden it well.

"I don't know exactly. Jesse ... my ... my ... the guy I got ... killed ... he and ... we erm ..." Beca faltered, not knowing what to say. Maggie reached out her hand to hold Beca's and just waited for her to continue.

"I guess, about four months." Beca sighed as her honest words filled the room. "I didn't know for a while. Or I think I didn't want to admit it to myself. I don't want anyone else to know. It's ironic. My friends would laugh if they knew. I'd be the last person on Earth they'd imagine to be pregnant. It was a drunken night. We made mistakes. But I can't tell anyone. I can't be happy. I thought if I ignored the queasiness, the dizziness, it wouldn't be true ... but if I'm honest, I've always known. Since I was only a few weeks gone."

"We always know." Maggie chuckled softly. A million thoughts were running through her head as she spoke, wondering whether she should tell Beca about the email from her friend Chloe Beale. She clearly didn't want to be in contact with anyone. Not knowing if she was doing the right thing, she looked at Beca.

"I knows you are here for another couple of days and I knows you haven't been eatings all that well. So I am guessing you have limited money. I'm going to offer you a solution until you knows what you wants to do. You can come home with me for a while. No arguments. It's just temporary. We have the space. You need some time. You need to get well. You need to see a doctor. And I will help you."

Beca felt overwhelmed. And uncomfortable. She realised that she had just spilled her guts out to a complete stranger. A stranger who was now offering her a place to stay for a few days. Beca couldn't understand why someone would do that. She finished chewing her mouthful before opening her mouth to speak.

"I really can't. I'll figure something out. I really thank you for this food. I am grateful. Really grateful. But I don't know you. You don't know me. I'm fucked up. I've let people down. I've ruined everything. "

"Sugar, I'd like to think someone would take care of my girls if I wasn't there. It's a genuine offer. I can't leave you here all by yourself. Come and stay for a couple of days. Eat some good food. Rest properly. Call people."

"I don't want to call anyone." Beca almost whined but she could feel her resolve slipping. "Can I think about it? Let you know tomorrow?"

"You can sugar. Just don't run outs on me."

Beca laughed for the first time in months and actually felt like she had made a friend.

"I won't. I've got nowhere else to go."

Maggie left her with the remainder of her lunch as she went home for the day. She had all but tucked Beca in to bed as she left. She pulled out her phone as she walked across the road to her car. Calling her husband, Trey, first, she let him know that they were having a guest stay with them for a few days. He was absolutely fine with it, knowing his wife's need to help people out. As a car mechanic with his own garage, as well as a 24 hour call out auto repair/retrieval guy, he was not at home much in the evening so it would hardly affect him.

After her conversation with her husband, Maggie called her local doctor on her private number, pleased as always that they had known each other since they were children, and booked Beca an appointment for Monday morning. As she drove out of the parking lot, she didn't feel a pang of guilt for not telling her that her friends were looking for her and that her boyfriend was still alive. That could come later, if that was what Beca wanted to hear.

* * *

**A/N - Is Maggie right to withhold the information about Chloe and Jesse? Does she have ulterior motives? **


	5. The Long And Winding Road

**.o0o. Chapter 5 .o0o.**

"What do you MEAN that there are NO FLIGHTS to Vegas until TUESDAY?! This is VEGAS we are talking about here! VEGAS!" Aubrey authoritative tone barked out across the terminal, causing more than a dozen people to turn and look and for Chloe to take a step back, casting an eye to her left, looking for a place of safety, in case she needed to run from a vomit fountain.

"Right ... uh huh ... I see ... oh the convention." She continued, speaking into her phone with gusto, nodding her head as she listened. "There is absolutely nothing? ... on any airline? ... to anywhere near Vegas? ... no, we are in Atlanta ... yes, the one in Georgia ... is there another? ... sorry ... yes ... I know it is a LONG way, that is why we wanted to FLY ... no, I did not mean ... OK, I apologise for my tone ... OK ... OK ... cost is not a problem ... no, we need to go today ... it is an emergency ... Tuesday is too late ... yes, we can fly to multiple cities to get there ... it is very important ... still would not get there until Tuesday ... OK, I understand ... erm ... Aubrey Posen ... no ... no relation to General Posen ... yes ... er, no thank you ... erm ... well, thank you for your help ... and I am sorry for my earlier attitude ... thank you ... yes ... goodbye."

Aubrey closed the call with a huff and looked over at Chloe who was distractedly chewing on her lip as she skimmed through several airline websites on her trusty iPad. There was a different level of concentration on her face and one that only her closest friends would recognise. For all of Chloe's bubbliness, there was a secondary level to the red head. She had a dark, more serious side to her, usually only reserved for her complicated college work face, when one of her friends was in trouble or when she was annoyed with Tom. When she was worried, she chewed her bottom lip. As she concentrated on the twelve websites she was currently on, looking for flights, she was well aware at this precise moment in time, as Aubrey finished her phone call that the flight that she should have been on to Memphis had just taken off. Chloe over analysed everything. Like a chess player, she processed ten moves ahead, working out all scenarios she could think of. To the average person, it may take them several minutes. To Chloe, it only took mere seconds. Aubrey knew the look and she wondered what Chloe had found.

"Anything?" Aubrey asked as she drew up alongside her friend, nudging her arm to bring Chloe back to the moment.

"Nothing Bree. Therein lays the problem. The convention in Vegas is huge, which is why I was going to go next weekend, rather than this one." Chloe said, closing her iPad to give Aubrey her full attention.

"How sure are you that this person thinks it was Beca he or she saw?" Aubrey asked, after a minute of silence, lowering and softening her voice.

"You saw the note, read what I read. I just don't know Bree. I've got a _feeling_. But I just don't know. I mean it _is_ Las Vegas. Why would she be out _there_?"

"Has Beca got any family in Vegas?"

"I don't think so. What's left of her family are in Maine. Her dad's in England at the moment. I still can't believe he left like that when she was missing."

"He explained that Chloe. He knew Beca would not come to him and Dr Mitch ..."

"No excuse. She is his only daughter! And she is _missing_. How could he not be scouring the country looking for her? Putting in the time and money himself? I have absolutely no problem whatsoever doing whatever this is that I am doing but ..." Chloe paused briefly as a little sob broke through her speech. "... where is her Dad's head in all this? Where are his priorities?"

"Chloe, sweetheart ..." Aubrey began, lessening the space between them with a shuffle, before wrapping her arms gingerly around her friend, who so obviously needed human contact at that precise moment in time. "... not everyone has a Dad like yours. They cannot all be as wonderful as Papa Beale. You know that your Dad is extra special and would traipse to the ends of the Earth to bring you M&M's if you asked him to. I know you have said before that you did not have a lot of money growing up being twelve people in your family but your Dad made sure he was at every recital, ball game or play that you and your brothers had. He was there every night for you, every weekend was spent with you, with Adam, Finn, Jimmy, Rafe, Grayson, Parker, Zack, Eli and Steve-" Aubrey counted Chloe's brother off on her fingers "-having fun, spending time together and doing stuff. Your Dad would walk across hot coals for you, being his baby and only daughter, but not all Dads are like yours. I get where Dr Mitchell is at here. My Dad bought me an $ 85,000 car for my birthday but did he actually take two minutes out of his day to call me and wish me Happy Birthday? No! But that is the way it is. I _get_ the relationship that Beca has with her Dad, he loves her, of course he does but he will never be able to understand her, what she needs. So, he keeps busy and just waits for her to come back. Much like I was doing until this morning. Her Dad ..."

"We weren't talking about him; we were talking about Beca! Where did all that come from?!"

"I am not really sure. What was I saying before?"

"Family in Vegas."

"Of course."

"She's ... she's never mentioned Vegas, no. What's in Vegas for her? I'd have thought if anything, she'd of headed out to California. She would have gone to Los Ange ..."

"That is it!" Aubrey squealed, interrupting Chloe in mid flow. Chloe looked at Aubrey, comprehension dawning on her as she realised that Aubrey could be right. "I bet she was on the way to Los Angeles. It is where she always planned to go, right?"

"Bree!"

Aubrey quietened for a moment, a plan forming in her brain, her eyes locked to the floor, to avoid the desperate look on Chloe's face. Chloe was champing at the bit to tell Aubrey but knew she needed to give her friend a moment to think she had thought of the plan first. Aubrey breathed through her ideas. She had to ask Chloe what Beca really meant to her before she told her of her plan. She knew Chloe better than Chloe thought she did but she still needed to ask.

"Chloe, sweetheart. What does Beca mean to you?" Aubrey began, softly.

"How do you mean?" Chloe knitted her eyebrows together for a moment.

"Do you love her?

"Of course I do. She is my friend." Chloe answered without hesitation.

"No. I mean, are you going to be honest and admit that you _love_ love her?"

"Aubrey? What are you trying to say?"

"Chloe, I have never seen you so passionate about anything or anyone before. You bullied me into accepting Beca into the Bella's last year. You fought against me when I reprimanded Beca. You stopped speaking to me for four days, which is a lifetime to you, when Beca and I argued after the Semi's. For serious Chloe, you sang into each other's eyes in the empty pool after she apologised and re-joined the Bella's before the Finals. She told Fat Amy that you were one of the main reasons for coming back and apologising to the Bella's. Your smile is brighter when Beca is around. You think more clearly when Beca is around. All the photographs in your room feature Beca. You are around her any chance you get. She actually looks happy around you. She makes you happy. Happier than Tom ever has. Or me. Or anyone else. You have given up the last three months to look for her; practically every weekend is spent flying to various places to look for her. You even started to rant about a man you hardly know a minute or two ago, and that is so unlike you. You do not have a cross word for anyone. You process everything at the speed of light. Yet, when it is matters of the heart, you act like an idiot. So, I am asking, what does Beca mean to you? Be honest!"

"I don't know." Chloe snapped, annoyed at Aubrey for calling her an idiot but suddenly feeling very weary. She turned apologetic eyes up to Aubrey.

"Be honest." Aubrey said, in the most gentlest of voices as she placed her hands on her best friends shoulders.

"I ... I ... I'm ..." Chloe stuttered, thoughts racing through her mind. She was an intelligent girl and was able to process a dozen thoughts at once but this was complicated. Anything that involved feelings always was. There was no right or wrong. Was this what she had been hiding from herself for the past year? She closed her eyes and let the first thought pop into her head. She sighed as she spoke the truth. The truth she knew in her heart and in her head and had known for a long time. "I love her Bree."

"Good. What about Tom?"

"What about him?"

"What are you going to do about him? Are you going to dump him?"

"Oh my God. Are we really having this conversation right now?"

"Yes!"

"Tom is my guy."

"And ...?"

"And what? What do you want me to say here?"

"The truth."

"Tom is convenient. We've been together for four years. He's great, supportive, friendly, nice, good with ..."

"Do. You. Love. Him." Aubrey interrupted.

"No." Chloe said, surprising herself with her quick answer.

"Good, because he is a douche." Aubrey ignored Chloe as she opened her mouth to protest. "But you love Beca."

"Yes."

"Do you think she loves you?"

"Not at all. She'd be here if she did."

"So someone freaks her out and she takes off for months because she _loves_ Jesse after she thinks he proposes to her?"

"No. But I'm not sure why we are having this conversation, right here in the middle of an airport terminal."

"Because." Aubrey began, lifting her hand to take Chloe's. "Because, if we are going to drive to Las Vegas right now, I want to make sure it is for a purpose."

"_Drive_? Are you insane? It's 2000 miles away. Courses start next week. We need to be back …"

"Yes! We will drive." Aubrey said as she straightened her already straight back, nodding her head to confirm.

"It's 2000 miles away." Chloe repeated. "It's almost across the entire country!"

"Yes. I know."

"It's 2000 miles!"

"What is your point Chloe?"

"It's across eight states, isn't it?"

"I guess so. Why?"

"Well, it will take us 36 hours of driving to get there, and that will just be sticking to the speed limits. Factor in traffic, road works, stopping for food, gas, rest stops and we are looking at anything between 36 to 42 hours. We can't hire a car as we aren't old enough."

"And? We will take my car. It is new, comfortable and has cruise control. We will take it in turns to drive. I will go first as you have hardly slept. We can sleep in the back seat while the other one drives. We can push the speed limit a little on occasion. And we will be there by tomorrow night if we go now." Aubrey said, looking at the Hermes watch on right wrist.

"Bree? Are you mad?"

"Probably."

"We can't drive 2000 miles with just the two of us."

"No, you are right. We are going to need some back up." Aubrey said as she ran her finger over the screen of her phone, unlocking it before scrolling through her contacts.

"Aubrey?"

Aubrey lifted the phone to her ear, turning her back to Chloe for a moment.

"Aubrey?" Chloe repeated, clutching at her friends arm.

"Hang on Chloe ... Amy? ... this is Aubrey Posen ... hello ... no ... we did not miss the flight ... Memphis is out ... why what? ... oh, we think Beca might be in Vegas ... no, I doubt very much that she is gambling ... no, I doubt she has become a Vegas Showgirl ... why? ... she's too short ... and alternative ... not the point ... there are no flights ... yes ... possibly ... no ... not until Tuesday ... we are going to drive ... Chloe and myself ... of course in my Cadillac ... please do not laugh ... Amy! ... stop laughing ... thank you ... fancy a road trip? ... yes, we need the extra driver ... 2000 miles ... yes, I know ... will you come? ... no, I am not kidding ... *sigh* ... there is no one else I trust with this that is why ... do not get all weird on me ... thank you ... just bring a change of clothes ... please go into my room and select a couple of items for me as well ... no, not that underwear ... how do you even know? ... urgh, I am so getting a lock on my door ... gross ... just normal please ... and the same for Chloe ... yes ... no, this "shit" as you so eloquently put it is _real_ ... we are leaving the airport now and we will pick you up on the way ... oh, please pack snacks ... no, you may not bring Bumper ... yes I am sure ... because he is an idiot ... and there is no more room in the car ... yes ... twenty seven minutes ... because it is twenty seven minutes not half an hour ... goodbye."

Aubrey turned back to Chloe, who stood with her mouth agape, as she ended the call with Amy.

"Aubrey? Are you for real?"

"Yes. You love the weirdo. We are going to get her back."

"But what about ..."

"No time to talk now. We will talk in the car. Let's go."

"Bree, I love you." Chloe said, as she launched herself into Aubrey and buried her head on her taller friends shoulder.

"I know you do. Now put me down so we can go ... Chloe? ... Do not nuzzle me ... Chloe? ... People are staring ..."

* * *

**A/N – This chapter is pretty much based on a real life experience that I had with my friends. At that time of my life, it was the most spontaneous thing I had ever done. Although we drove from London, England to Milan, Italy in a weekend to rescue a stranded friend (similar situation to Beca but without the drama of a 'dead' boyfriend) rather than across the United States. Good fun though!**


	6. To Be(ca) Or Not To Be(ca)

**.o0o. Chapter 6 .o0o.**

Jesse sat with his phone in his hand for the longest time after he had gotten the call from Chloe. He wasn't sure how to take the news that for the first time in three months, someone had potentially identified Beca. 'Potentially', he kept telling himself. It might not be her? But what if it was?

He had thought he wouldn't care. He had hoped that the day he got the call about her, and he had every faith that one day she would be found, or that she would return, that he'd be so madly in love with someone else, Elena perhaps?, that he wouldn't care any more and just wish Beca well with life. He wanted to hate her. She had left him. Not just dumped him, which still wasn't OK but at least they could have tried to be friends after a fashion, and he would have tried his hardest to understand her reasons but she hadn't given him the chance. She had just _gone._

Elena could sense the shift in his attention and while she wanted to be supportive and sympathetic, she was also slightly annoyed that after all this time, the girl who had broken his heart, was still managing to get under his skin. And that Beca wasn't even on the radar at this point in time. Jesse had briefly explained that Beca had taken off after a badly thought out joke which had gone wrong at her birthday party. Elena had thought it extremely strange and thought there was more to it at the time but chose not to press Jesse on this before. She did, however want answers after seeing his reaction to the phone call. She had heard most of the conversation on the phone, it was hard not to when the girl on the other end was practically squealing every word out.

"Jesse?" Elena asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yes. *cough* Sorry, I'm here. I'm listening."

"Who was that on the phone?"

"Chloe *cough* Chloe Beale."

"Chloe? Who is she?"

"She is the red head ... erm ... she is one of the Barden Bella's. You know the a cappella ..."

"Got it. The perky one?"

"Yep." Jesse didn't know what else to say so he settled on looking at his phone again.

"What did she say?"

"Oh. That girl I used to know, Beca, she might be in Las Vegas."

"Right."

Jesse's head snapped back up and looked at Elena, sensing _something_ flicker across her face.

"Heeey." He said, letting go of his phone and taking one of her hands in his. Her hardened gaze softened at the simple action. "You are my girl. You know that, right?"

"I know Jesse, but she was ..."

"Yes, she _was_ but not anymore. I'm so happy with you and the time we spend together. And I do mean that. You are my girl. I promise you that."

"Then why the face?"

"What face?"

"This melancholy, lost your winning lottery ticket, got bad news about my Grandma, no beer left at the party face you are currently sporting." Elena answered gently.

"No ... no face. I'm just confused."

"Why?" Elena asked.

Jesse sighed before he replied. He owed it to Elena to be honest with her but before he could do that he had to be honest with himself. He had a million thoughts running through his mind and where did he start to process all of this. Before she had taken off, Jesse would talk to Beca about everything and anything. He would talk; she would listen, offering some sobering advice when it was needed. He would ramble at her for hours, half the time he _knew_ she wasn't really listening but he talked anyway as it helped him process. Saying that though, Beca would flick her eyes towards him when he said something random and off cuff to her to see if she was paying attention so he knew she had heard him.

What did Jesse want? That was the million dollar question. His mind raced through the thoughts. He could have Elena. She was here, ready for a committed relationship, ready for love, ready to make a go of it all with him. She was open and honest with her feelings. She loved him. She showed him she was there for him but above all Elena was happy. She enjoyed nights in, nights out, walks in the park, liked video games, loved movies and could cook. She would run her hands through his hair, laid a hand on his leg when they watched a movie together, would link fingers as they walked and held hands. Jesse came from a loving family with two older brothers (Chris; a private airline pilot out of Nashville and Nate; a chef in Evansville ) and an older sister (Lucy; a newspaper research assistant based in St Louis) who would constantly be hugging, complimenting, touching, laughing and Jesse got the same from Elena. She was beautiful, with dark chestnut hair and deep brown eyes that reflected a soul that was worth getting to know, had a figure that drove him crazy with her flawless skin.

But she wasn't Beca.

And he still wanted to hate Beca. He wanted her to feel as bad as he did. He needed her to feel like _shit_, because that was how he felt and then he could feel good about making her feel like crap. Like he felt. And he thought about the last time they had laughed, before the ICCA finals, before they slept together, before all of this happened. And he couldn't decide what he felt anymore. All he knew was that he had loved Beca, always would.

"Do you still love her Jesse?" Elena pressed.

"No." Jesse gulped down the lie.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm over her. If I wasn't, I'd be on my way to Las Vegas. With Aubrey, Chloe and Amy. Right now. Or going on my own. I'm with you. Here. Now. What we have. It's good. It's real." Jesse spoke in short, clipped sentences to mask the choke he felt in his throat.

Elena tightened her hand around his. She pulled his hands towards her mouth and kissed each of his fingers. She didn't believe him but she could try and make him forget about _her_. She wasn't prepared to let him go without a fight. And she knew exactly what to do to make him stay put in his dorm room for the night.

0

"Come on, I've got an idea to take your mind of her. Head back to your dorm and I'll be up there in about five minutes."

Jesse nodded, even though he was barely listening. They stood together and she pecked his cheek before they parted, he turning left towards his dorm and she turning right towards the campus coffee shop and the gym. He wanted to be one hundred percent into Elena but something was holding him back and he was trying to push Beca out of his mind. It had taken him weeks to let her go. Beca Mitchell had gotten under his skin. He felt on fire around her, especially when she grazed his arm while they talked. Food tasted better, especially when Beca cooked. Beer tasted more thirst quenching, especially when Beca shared one with him. College work was more entertaining, especially as Beca challenged his thoughts and made him question his theories. His singing was better, especially because he sang every word to Beca. Oxygen came more freely when she was around, Beca's smell was intoxicating. He felt more alive, because she was simply ... Beca.

He arrived back at his front door and after fumbling with the key for a few seconds, entered his dorm room. He crossed over to his closet door, which he had left open earlier and pulled out the sweater that Beca had left in his room about five months ago. Taking a deep breathe, he tried to smell Beca's scent and laughed into the fabric, thinking how much of a vampire did he feel right now, almost as if he were sniffing out his prey. He replaced the sweater back on the top shelf and closed the closet door. Picking up a few items of rubbish, he threw them into the trash and straightened his bed, before running his hands over his face and digging his knuckles into his eyes.

It wasn't long before Elena knocked softly on his door and he hastily crossed the room to open it for her, taking the two cups of coffee and bag of goodies from her, before stepping back to let her in. She closed the door behind her and dug in her handbag for the DVD's she had just picked up as she crossed the room to his bed to sit down.

"We watch these." She said as she held out the DVD's towards him. "We drink these." And pointed towards the coffee. "We eat those." Indicating the goodies in the brown bag. "We do some of this." She said as she took Jesse's hand in hers. "And maybe some of this." She lowered her voice as she moved his hand to her breast and slipped her own hand down the front of his jeans.

Jesse smiled as he pulled her closer to him, removing his hand from her breast and placing both hands tightly on her hips. Elena was here. Elena wanted to be with him. Elena was doing everything she knew how to distract him and remind him that she was his. And as he wrapped his arms around her, gently kissing his neck, he found himself forgetting about Beca as he poured everything he had into being with the girl in front of him. She got him. She knew how to work him. And for the next few hours, the movies long since finished as they lay wrapped in each others, drawing lazy circles on each others sweaty, naked bodies, he was content. As in really content.

So why, after getting dressed and stopping for another coffee in the café at Elena's insistence by her apartment before dropping Elena off at her apartment later that night, did he feel like utter crap?

Flicking open his laptop, he struggled out of his jacket as the machine flickered into life. He had had a stupid idea whilst walking back to his dorm and needed to see if it was possible. He pulled open all the travel websites he could think of and lost himself in the ten minutes looking at options before concluding that this was a useless idea because he couldn't think straight. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he dialled his brothers' home number.

"What's up little bro?"

"Need a favour man."

"Yup. What can I do? You sound exhausted."

"What schedule are you on at the moment?" Jesse asked, ignoring the last comment.

"This week ... ah ... let me look. Are you OK to hold for a moment? I'm on the kitchen phone and it's fixed to the wall!"

"Sure thing."

Jesse drummed his fingers on his leg as he waited for Chris to come back.

"Let's see." Chris said as he picked up the phone again. Jesse could hear him flicking through the pages. "I'm on the short stops this week. Got to San Fran tomorrow, followed by San Diego and then doing the run over to Bullhead City before heading out to ..."

"Dude!"

"What Jess?"

"I'll literally do anything. _Anything_ at all, if you can get me on that plane."

"What? You want to go to San Fran?"

"No, I need to go to Vegas."

"Erm ... OK. Why?"

Jesse sighed and suddenly felt a little foolish about his plans as he filled his brother in on what he had been feeling from his family for the past few months and especially the phone call he had received earlier that day from Chloe.

"So ... Beca, _the_ love of your life and I am quoting Mom here, ran away after you faked proposed to her for a joke. You, being the dumb jerk you are followed after her and got hit by a truck. But Beca hasn't been seen since. You then get a call from her friend, who has been searching for her for months, saying they _thinks_ she might be in Vegas. Am I up to date?"

"Erm ... yup."

"And on the back of this possibility, you want to go to Vegas."

"Yup."

"Even though she's unlikely to actually be there?"

"She might be."

"Bro, you've got to think for a second. Vegas; city of five hundred thousand, home to a few million tourists, not to mention the various suburbs of how many thousand of people and you want to go and search for someone who left everything behind to escape? Meanwhile, you have a gorgeous girlfriend who is by your side the whole time and wants to be with you."

"Yup."

"Shit. You got it bad."

"Yup."

"What if she doesn't want to be found?"

"Then we'll take it from there."

"OK ... let me think ... OK, erm, I take it you've tried all airline options?"

"Yup."

"Car hire?"

"Too young!"

"Oh yeah! Greyhound?"

"I need to get there by Monday."

"Oh."

"Look, I'll make some calls ... I can't promise anything. I'll see what the cargo is and see whether there is space for you."

"Thanks man."

"Still think you are crazy. You sure you want to do this. I mean ... Elena?"

"I just need to know Beca is safe. Then ... I'll take it from there. Look, man, I appreciate this."

"I can't promise anything Jess."

"I know Chris, I know."

"Call you later. Get some rest. You sound beat."

"OK. Thanks. Bye."

* * *

**A/N – Thoughts on Elena? ****I can go either way on her here. I've got ideas for two or three scenarios.**


	7. Who You Gonna Call? Fat Amy!

**A/N - Lost my mojo a little trying to get from the last chapter to where I need to be so I wrote this to get me back on track. After a PM asking to hear Amy's side of the conversation from Chapter 2, I thought I'd write this next chapter. It's not great but fills in a space between the two chapters I already had written. Thanks for the suggestion and thank to those who are still reading!**

* * *

** .o0o. Chapter 7 .o0o.**

'Fat' Amy was chewing a mouthful of pancakes in the kitchen when she heard her phone ringing in her pocket. She chewed her food as she struggled to get her phone out of her pocket. For the _nth_ time, she decided that she really should get a smaller phone ... or just buy trousers with larger pockets.

Not bothering to look at who was calling for a number of reasons, the first being that she never stored any numbers in her phone, she thumbed the screen and heard a familiar authoritative tone barking (in Amy's own opinion) into the speaker as she placed it to her ear.

_**"Hang on Chloe ..."**_ she could hear the vibrating echo of a large open space as Aubrey spoke. Amy paused for a second while she swallowed the remains of her pancakes.

**_"... Amy?"_**

"Yeah, it's me!"

**_"This is Aubrey Posen."_**

"I figured as much Bree! Hello!"

**_"Hello."_**

"Are you calling from the air?"

**_"No."_**

"Oh. Did you miss your flight you pair of ...?"

**_"We did not miss the flight."_**

"Oh, I thought the flight was at 11? Did you decide not to go to Memphis? Red said she was going to Memphis. Then you left in a hurry saying you were going to Memphis. So what h ..."

**_"Memphis is out."_**

"OK ... why?"

**_"Why what?"_**

"Why are you not going to Memphis dummy?"

**_"Oh, we think Beca might be in Vegas until Monday."_**

"Struth! Is she a closest gambler like Cynthia? Is she rollin' the high stakes? Addicted to slot machines? Ha!"

**_"No, I doubt very much that she is gambling."_**

"Fair dinkum. Oh wait; has she become a Las Vegas Showgirl?"

**_"No, I doubt she has become a Vegas Showgirl."_**

"Really. I think she'd be good at it."

**_"Why?"_**

"Why not?! Crikey! She's got a good body and scrummy legs and those ti..."

**_"She's too short."_**

"Well, I hardly think ...

**_"And alternative."_**

"But different is good, hey Aubrey! Remember last month when you let me touch your b ..."

**_"Not the point ..."_**

"Ha! So, why are you not going to Vegas to get our girl back?"

**_"There are no flights."_**

"Oh, have you tried every desk, website, phone number?"

**_"Yes."_**

"Ha! Did you fry someone when they told you no? Ha!"

**_"Possibly."_**

"Ha! So, there is nothing ..."

**_"No."_**

"When is the first available flight?"

**_"Not until Tuesday."_**

"Well, that a pigs bum mate. What are you going to do?"

**_"We are going to drive."_**

"Who is?"

**_"Chloe and myself."_**

"In your Caddy?"

**_"Of course in my Cadillac."_**

"Hahaha!"

**_"Please do not laugh._**

"Fucking bugger me senseless!"

**_"Amy!"_**

"Hahaha ... best thing I have heard all year!"

**_"Stop laughing."_**

"Sorry Aubrey. You and Red on a road trip! Comedy gold! *cough* Sorry. Erm ... good luck."

**_"Thank you."_**

"Sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

**_"Fancy a road trip?"_**

"Are you asking me to come too? Far out!"

**_"Yes, we need the extra driver."_**

"How far is it?"

**_"2000 miles."_**

"That's a heck of a long way Blondie."

**_"Yes, I know."_**

"You might just need some help on the road then, protect you from the freaks, get some protection from the Fat Power? I'll have you know I'm the best ..."

**_"Will you come?"_**

"Are you sure you ain't kidding?

**_"No, I am not kidding."_**

"Fuck me.

**_"*sigh*"_**

"Why me? I thought you thought I was an idiot, a drongo, a galah, a tur ..."

**_"There is no one else I trust with this that is why."_**

"Aww, Aubrey, you trust me. You do like me. *sniff* Ooh, I feel all gooey inside. *sniff* Thanks mate, means a lot *sniff*, it really does."

**_"Do not get all weird on me."_**

"Of course, I'll come. We're mates, right? We'll get the alt chick back."

**_"Thank you."_**

"OK. What do I need?"

**_"Just bring a change of clothes."_**

"Change of clothes, righteo. You need anything?"

**_"Please go into my room and select a couple of items for me as well."_**

"Like your sexy itty bitty smalls."

**_"No, not that underwear."_**

"Your lacy little black bra with the roses on, the one you save for special occasions?!"

**_"How do you even know?"_**

"Oh, I happened to be in your room one day with Bumper and I was poking through your drawers looking."

**_"Urgh, I am so getting a lock on my door."_**

"We changed your sheets mate."

**_"Gross."_**

"So, just normal underwear then."

**_"Just normal please._**

"Sure thing. I'll get some tops, jeans, shoes too. Anything else ..."

**_"And the same for Chloe."_**

"Bonza! So we really are doing this?"

**_"Yes."_**

"You ain't kidding me are you Bree? This shit ain't a joke, is it? Is it real? Or a wind up for my birthday?"

**_"No, this "shit" as you so eloquently put it is real."_**

"OK Captain. What time?"

**_"We are leaving the airport now and we will pick you up on the way."_**

"Copy Roger. Time to finish me breakfast."

**_"Oh, please pack snacks."_**

"Can I bring Bumper?"

**_"No, you may not bring Bumper."_**

"Awww, are you sure? We'll keep the noise down."

**_"Yes I am sure."_**

"Why the heck not?"

**_"Because he is an idiot."_**

"Oh, and there was me thinking you had mellowed."

**_"And there is no more room in the car."_**

"Nah, I'm only kidding. Be fun with just us girls anyway, wont it!"

**_"Yes."_**

"So how long will you be?"

**_"Twenty seven minutes."_**

"What can't you say half an hour like a normal person?"

**_"Because it is twenty seven minutes not half an hour."_**

"Hahaha. OK, drive careful. See you in a bit chick."

**_"Goodbye."_**

Amy ended the call, smirking to herself as she loved to wind up Aubrey. She was such an easy target. Turning back to her breakfast, she quickly inserted the remains of her pancakes and slurped the rest of her coffee, before dumping the dishes in the sink. Squirting a few drops of washing up liquid into the sink, she turned the hot tap on and let it run for a few seconds over the dishes.

"Oh heck!" She said, out loud, but only to herself as she turned the water off. "I ain't got time for this! I'm going to Vegas! Yeah! Whomp!"

As fast as she could, Amy crossed the lounge and into the small storage area by the front door. She quickly found her small weekend bag and hurried to her bedroom to pack what she would need. She opened her closest and frowned when her mind went foggy and she couldn't process what she would need to take.

"Patricia Amy, pull your shit together. You've got 23 minutes before they get here. You were in the Girl Scouts for three years. You earned seven badges. Including beekeeping. You've got this!"

Amy quickly began throwing things onto her bed, underwear, clean jeans, a few tops and pair of Converse before stuffing them into her holdall. She tossed in her hairbrush and some make up before throwing open her bedroom door and marching to the bathroom she shared. Selecting her toothbrush, she swiped a tube of toothpaste, some shower gel and shampoo for them all to share before grabbing four clean towels from the joint cupboard.

With her arms full, she dumped the items back on her bed, before entering Chloe's room. Amy loved Chloe's room and she would often just go and stand in there and _sniff_. She just loved the homeliness, the untidiness and the relaxed feel of Chloe's room. It was an appealing room with colourful posters, pictures and ornaments and so many photo frames. Every inch was covered in something to look at. She scooted over to Chloe's closet, pulled open the door and laughed. Chloe's closet was just a dumping ground, nothing was organised, boxes were without lids or labels, no clothes on hangers, shoes unpaired just shoved onto shelves, jewellery all over the place and a huge pile of laundry just sitting in the corner. Amy knew this was Chloe's nemesis along with her inability to cook. How Chloe managed to look so neat and tidy on a daily basis was beyond Amy.

Grabbing a couple of tops that looked clean and a pair of black jeans, she scooped up a pair of trainers, before helping herself to a bra and some underwear that she hoped to God was clean, kicked the door shut, knocking 'something' over inside, which settled a few seconds later. Shrugging to herself, she took one last _sniff_ in the room and left. Smirking to herself, she picked up the pace a little bit as she entered Aubrey's room, immediately sobering. There was something so unbelievably calm, orderly and organised, almost sterile about being in Aubrey's room. It felt as if Aubrey was in there herself, offering you one of her famous pouts at the intrusion. It was like a show home and Amy ignored the urge to turn everything backwards as she opened Aubrey's closet to reveal the neatly stacked and organised shelves. Grabbing a top from the pink pile and one from the blue pile, she pulled out a pair of beige jeans and a pair of sandals, having already clocked Aubrey's boots that morning. She grinned to herself as she pulled some underwear out of the box labelled 'underwear' because really, she needed to label _that_?

"Jeez, these twig bitches wear small smalls." Amy chuckled as she grabbed a bra as well. She carefully closed the closet door with her foot and walked back to her own room. Dumping everything back on her bed, she loaded the clothes into her bag mechanically before slipping in the toiletries and towels she had collected earlier. She located her phone charger by her life size inflatable crocodile and grabbed her laptop, placing both in her bag as well. Zipping it up carefully, she looked around quickly to see if she might need anything else.

"Fourteen minutes! Nine to go!" Amy muttered to herself. "Crushed it!"

Making her way to the kitchen, she dumped her bag in the living room. Collecting a cloth shopping bag from one of the kitchen drawers, she ransacked the cupboards for snacks and drinks, stealing sweets and gum and packed it in the bag. She put some kitchen paper in, grabbed a few plastic cups, a few straws and a picnic blanket and added that to the bag. Remembering that her iPod was on charge in her bedroom, she tied the handles of the cloth bag and left it by her holdall as she walked through the living room again before entering her bedroom. Taking the final look around her, Amy pushed her feet into a pair of flats, picked up her iPod and slipped it into her pocket and pulled a cardigan from the back of her door just as her phone buzzed with a new message.

_*We are outside. Bree says 'move it'. I say 'I love you' xx.*_

_*OK Twigs 3*_

Amy shut her phone off, gathered up her bags from the living room and yelled at the top of her lungs to the quiet apartment.

"I'm off to VEGAS! Hooroo aca-bitches!"

* * *

Stacie poked her head out of her bedroom as she heard the front door close with such force.

"Did Amy just say she was going to Vegas?" Stacie said as she turned back to Cynthia Rose who had also woken when the front door slammed.

"Yeah. You know Amy! It's probably true!"

"Weird."

* * *

**A/N – This really is an appalling chapter and I am sorry but I needed to get Amy in the car and saying "Fat Amy got in the car" didn't seem to quite do her character justice.**


	8. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?

**.o0o. Chapter 8 .o0o.**

Chloe lay with her eyes closed on the back seat of Aubrey's SUV. She couldn't sleep, had gone far beyond the realms of sleep, with so many thoughts racing through her mind. She felt a bit sick but guessed that was just from tiredness. And she also felt bad. And Chloe didn't like to feel bad. She was very much in the 'turn that frown upside down' camp but she had just broken up her boyfriend of four years, actually he had actually dumped her in the end, so she thought, just this once, she could allow herself to be sad.

**.o0o.**

She knew she had to be honest with Tom about what was going on in her head but she wanted to get this _thing_ in Las Vegas sorted first before sitting down and confronting her feelings about Tom. And Beca obviously. Chloe loved Tom. She didn't want to hurt him. They were good together intellectually, they shared the same sense of humour and they were amazing together in bed, or wherever else they ended up. Tom got her angsty side, knew by the sound of her voice when she needed him to take control and he never complained when she called him in the middle of the night to meet in the college shower block for 'some titanium time'. But Chloe knew he was not the person she was going to be with forever. She loved him dearly, yes but she was never going to settle down with him forever. They were just safe together for now and he was a useful distraction until she could get the idea of Beca out of her head.

But even if Beca wasn't into her, and by this point, Chloe had pretty much figured she wasn't, she wasn't being true to Tom. And that was just plain unfair on him. It wasn't his fault she was in love with him after all. Chloe knew that if Beca cared about what she was putting her friends through, cared about her in any way, she would have got in touch somehow. She knew the Barden University address after all. Her father's home address on campus even. He hadn't gone to England when she had left. If she had really, really wanted to, she could have got in touch. Chloe felt guilty for thinking of this over and over. Beca wasn't a communicator, wasn't a doer, was closed off and everyone knew just how close she played her cards to her chest. But Chloe also knew of the connection she had felt with Beca over the past year and she knew Beca hadn't shared that feeling with anyone else. Beca had gotten closer to Aubrey (well, most of the time) and Amy, but not in the same way as her and Chloe.

Chloe's stomach had internally and unintentionally flipped when she had looked at her phone while walking from the terminal earlier with Aubrey. She had sent Tom a text a couple of hours prior, saying that she would see him on Sunday, and he had replied saying that he needed to talk when she got back. 'Tom never needed to _talk_', Chloe had thought to herself, knowing he was a man of few words, usually happy with just getting into her pants. Chloe, being the impatient type and having an almost apoplectic aversion to waiting for anything, had phoned him as she slipped into the front seat of Aubrey's Cadillac.

"Chloe?" Tom answered on the second ring.

"Hey gorgeous, I got your text. You don't have to wait until tomorrow to speak to me. I love talking to you! You can phone anytime. How is your Saturday going? Did you sleep well last night? Oh, you were out last night with ... erm ... Bryce, right? Did you have fun? Where did you go? How did the meeting go on Thursday night? Sorry I didn't call last night ... Merlot plus Aubrey ... we weren't in a fit state to speak to anyone! Did you speak to your Dad about borrowing his cabin at Christmas? I know Christmas is a way away yet but we should totally go for a few days. Oh ... you were getting your bike fixed today? Are you there now? What did they say was wrong? What are you having for dinner tonight? Are you going out again tonight? Did you get my letter? Sorry for all of the questions! How are you?!"

"Chloe ..." Tom sighed and Chloe waited for him to start laughing like he always did when she pelted him with questions. When he didn't continue, she filled the silence that seemed twenty seconds too long.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I picked up some ingredients for those raisin cookies you like. I was going to ask Bree to help me make them when we get back." Chloe had flashed at her eyes across towards Aubrey who had responded with an eye roll, Chloe accepted that as a yes. "Oh, I'm not going to Memphis today. We, that's Bree and me, are going to Vegas; we think Beca is in Ve ..."

"Chloe ..." Tom started again, interrupting Chloe in mid flow and then stopped.

"I know, I should have said earlier. Sorry. But double batch of raisin cookies when I get home? I know they are your favourite. Oh, you left your shirt at mine on Monday night. I wore it to bed, hope you don't mind!"

"Chloe ..."

"... I'll wash it Tom ..." Chloe paused as she was not really sure what was happening. Tom had only managed to say her name so far but she could hear a _tone_ in his voice. "Are you OK?"

"No."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do this anymore." Tom spoke softly.

"What?"

"Come on Chloe ... you really need me to spell it out?"

"Tom, I'm not sure ..."

"You've got your head in the cloudy skies of Happy Land all the time and you fail to see what's really going on in the real world. Get you head out of your ass Chloe." Tom suddenly exploded.

Chloe blinked, her eyes widening, too shocked to speak. Aubrey took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at Chloe when she heard Tom yelling at her best friend through the phone.

"I _love_ you. I do. But I don't think you love me." Tom's voice, now softer, but still full of emotional rage. "I haven't seen you properly for weeks because you have been flying here, there and everywhere. And I first I understood. I did. And actually, I _still_ do. I'm a guy but I do understand how a girls' friendship works. But I need you to be there for me as well."

"Tom, I _am_ here ..."

"But you aren't." His voice had never sounded so cold.

"Tom ..."

"No, you aren't Chloe. I am literally fucking your brains out until you almost pass out every time I see you but you aren't there with me anymore. It's as if you are somewhere else. I know you aren't screwing around with someone else, I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't do that ..."

"No, I wouldn't." Chloe said, taking her turn to interrupt him, meaning it. She _wasn't_ like that.

" ... But I need someone with me in that moment. Maybe I am the selfish ass, wanting my _girlfriend_ to be there with me, to spend a weekend with me, not flying around the country looking for some stuck up, selfish, angry, hormonal teenager who can't be ..."

"TOM! Stop right there. She's a ..."

"My point exactly Chloe. It's all about her."

"Tom, don't do this over the phone. We just need to talk." Chloe pleaded.

"No, we don't. I've made my mind up."

"Tom ... please? This can't be because I've been a bit busy lately and distracted, surely? You are willing to throw away four years together without even talking about it."

"Mm hmm."

"Tom?" Chloe resigned herself to ask the question that had been in her head since she heard say he had had enough.

"What?"

"Is there someone else?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I know you Tom. You are patient with me when I am distracted, you don't usually get narky when I am busy, or if I have extra Bella practice, you turn up with dinner, and you didn't have a problem with me looking for my lost _friend_, in fact you were the one who encouraged me to do it. Plus you don't shout at me for without a real reason."

Chloe heard Tom sigh down the phone.

"Please, just be honest with me Tom. I think I deserve that." In the back of her mind, she knew she was speaking without conviction, knowing that she had in fact been planning on talking with Tom about this very thing. Just not over the phone and in an angry state of mind. She was however, totally unprepared for what she heard him say next.

"Yes ... OK ..."

"Yes? OK? OK what?"

"I _have_ been seeing someone else."

"Oh."

Chloe sat in silence for a moment. She lowered her chin to her chest and stared at her knees for the longest time. Aubrey looked over to her and seeing her obvious distress, reached out an arm and placed it lightly on her thigh, not really knowing what was being said on the phone but taking an educated guess.

"Who is she? How long?"

Tom sighed on the other end of the phone.

"It's no one you know. It's just someone in my apartment block.

"Oh wow, I am being left for 'just someone'."

"Chloe ..."

"You know what, it _is_ fine. It is fine. It's OK."

"Chloe ..."

"I've got some things of yours back at home. I'll box it and send it."

"Chloe ... I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Chloe said brightly, hiding the pain from her now ex-boyfriend. "It was fun while it lasted. I'll always love you. Bye Tom."

Chloe hung up her phone, cutting Tom off, dropping it into her lap before she let the tears fall from her eyes.

"Chloe, do you need me to pull over? Do you need a hug?" Aubrey said, totally at a loss as to what to say or do.

"I'm fine Bree, honestly. It was ..." Chloe let out a small sob. "It's just him cheating. That's harsh. I mean, I know I am a pickle sometimes, but ..."

"I thought you said that your love for him had ..."

"I'll always love him but ..."

"I know. If your heart is yearning for another, then ..." Aubrey said, as they started speaking without needing to let the other person finish.

"I wasn't going to keep him around as a spare part in case things didn't work out with someone else ..."

"Someone else is being Beca?"

"Bree ... I'm not in the mood to talk about that right now."

"I am sorry, that was really insensitive of me. Please excuse me. Sorry." Aubrey paused for a moment. "Chloe, are you OK?"

"I'll be fine! I'm me!"

"Chloe?"

"Really Bree, let's get Amy and let's get on the road and we'll look back on this day soon and laugh."

"I told you he was a douche."

"I know you did."

"Now he is a fucking selfish wanker to boot."

"Aubrey!"

"Well, he is!" Aubrey exclaimed, as she pulled up in front of their apartment, slipping the car into park and killing the engine in one solid movement.

"Yes, but since when do you swear?"

"When my best friend is upset."

"I love you Bree Zee!"

"I love you too Chloe Bear!"

Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to plant a kiss on Aubrey's cheek. Aubrey pulled her in for a hug, slipping her arms around the red heads back and pulling her in tightly to her. They sat like that for a minute or two.

"OK, text Amy and tell her we are outside and tell her to _move it_. We want to hit the road as soon as possible." Aubrey said, as they pulled apart. Chloe grinned and grabbed her phone, thumbing the screen quickly. She scrolled to her messages and tapped out a message to Amy who replied almost instantly. Aubrey clicked open the trunk from within the car, just as Amy came hurtling down the path from their apartment. Throwing her bags into the trunk, she threw open the doors and literally jumped into the car.

"Move 'em on, head 'em up, head 'em up, move 'em out, move 'em on, head 'em out ... Rawhide!"

"Amy?"

"It means go Aubrey ... go!"


	9. Highway To Hell Or Nowhere In Particular

**.o0o. Chapter 9 .o0o.**

They had been on the road for over seven hours, and they were supposed to have been on the other side of Little Rock by now, if the plan had been adhered to. However, they had only just bypassed Memphis. Chloe, with her fingers lightly tapping on her stomach drumming an unknown beat, roughly worked out that they were two hours behind schedule already and the reason for this was currently being debated heatedly in the car as she heard Amy and Aubrey bickering in the front two seats.

"Amy? ... Amy! Pull over!"

"Are you going to puke mate?"

"No, but your driving is scaring the living _shits_ out of me." Aubrey hissed through clenched teeth. "Oh my God!"

"Oooh Aubrey Posen made a sweary noise. I'll note that in me diary. I'll have you know but I am one of the best drivers in Tasmania ... with or without feet. Buckle up Skippy, there is still two hours to go of my shift."

"I am not sure I can manage that long. Perhaps if you slow down a bit? You are going too fast."

"Can it Blondie, I did an advance driving course when I was at school. I was 12 at the time. We weren't allowed to start the ignition on the car but I _know_ how it's done."

"Oh God ..."

"Bree, breathe." Chloe said from where she was lying on the back seat. "Why don't you and I switch seats? You can come and lie here and I'll sit up front with Amy."

"No Chloe, you need to sleep. You didn't sleep last night at all."

"It's OK Bree, I've been trying for an hour but I can't drop off." Chloe said, adjusting her seat belt to allow herself to sit up. "I'm good though. The coffee at the last stop will have me bouncing until Wednesday I think."

"*squeal* Shit."

"Aubrey?" Chloe looked to catch Amy's eyes in the rear view mirror.

"Yes!"

"Was that you?" Chloe asked.

"Bree, this is a Cadillac Escalade right? With the latest features? And gadgets? It has both heated and cooled front seats, rear vision camera, navigation built in (which is super cool by the way) and full on climate control. Right? This bad boy is an all-wheel drive, has platinum trim, a six speed gear box, has a high-performance four hundred and three HP, six point two litre, V eight engine right? It can go from naught to sixty in less than seven seconds right? They cost over $85,000 right? It's an SUV right?" Amy stated.

"Mm hmm." Aubrey breathed, clenching her knees together.

"So why do I have to keep it under 40 miles an hour? My Grandma can run faster than this. And she's been dead for three years."

"Oh God ..."

Amy was desperately trying to keep a straight face as Aubrey squirmed in her seat. Aubrey loved her car and hadn't really thought it through when she agreed they would all share in the driving to Las Vegas. Aubrey didn't mind Chloe's driving; she had been friends with her for long enough to know that even though she looked like she wasn't going to slow down for the Stop sign, she was paying attention and would brake in time. Most of the time anyway.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I was on a road trip through Australia with my Dad?" Amy asked, turning fully in her seat to look at Chloe in the back. "We were both complaining that we had yet to see any kangaroos. Suddenly, we saw one up real close. The rental car saw it even closer! Ha!"

"AMY! Eyes front! NOW!"

"Game time!" Amy announced, as she turned back to face the road again, ignoring the glare from Aubrey. "Bored of the scared talk."

"What did you have in mind?!" Chloe asked, softly laughing, as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"Gimme a second to think Red. It will have to be a good 'un to take Aubrey's mind of my awesome motoring skills." Amy inched the steering wheel to the left to see Aubrey's reaction and Aubrey clutched at her stomach in fear.

"I am going to be sick. _Please_ stop the car."

"Bree, it's OK. We are going to stop for some dinner soon. I'll take another shift then OK? We need to pick up some time and get this journey done." Chloe said kindly.

"It just seems so fast when it is someone else in the driver seat." Aubrey replied; grimacing as Amy took one hand off the steering wheel to slip her bra strap back onto her shoulder. "I will drive for a bit after dinner and I promise to stop when I am tired and let Amy drive while I am asleep."

Chloe leaned forward in the car and squeezed Aubrey's arm as Amy announced she had an idea for the game.

"We all get to name our five top funny stories. The one who the best worst story gets to have her dinner bought by the other two. Got it?"

"I'm paying for dinner Amy ..." Chloe piped up from the back seat, fully intending to not make her friends pay for anything for the trip, her Uncles' trust fund more than covering any costs they would incur.

"Nope Red. My game. My rules. I'll go first so you'll see what I mean." Amy interrupted, before briefly thinking of a story. "Oh, got it! For my one year anniversary with Jed (boyfriend number 11), I sang him a heartfelt, self-written song about my love for him, putting all of my soul and effort into it. There were actions. And props. The first thing he said after I'd kissed him was "your fly is open" so I dumped his sorry behind."

"Oh Amy." Aubrey began "That is so sad. I'm so sorry ..."

"Naw, Aubrey, don't worry, it was great. I went out and snagged me a couple of surfers and I spent a lot of time getting over him!" Amy laughed.

"OK, I've got one!" Chloe said, turning to look out of the window. "I often dream about Robert Downey Jr. He kept flirting with me and asking me out. Each time I said no and that I was with Tom. When I woke up, I was really proud of myself for not cheating on Tom and I told him this. He answered with "What the hell? I could have kissed the mouth that kissed the Iron Man."

Amy snorted in the front and even Aubrey raised a smile.

"Nice one Red! I introduced a boyfriend to my parents. They thought it would be _extremely_ funny to pretend they were nudists."

"I went on a blind date before I met Tom. The very first thing the guy did was ask if I knew what it felt like to have spiders crawl out of my vagina."

"Fuck me Red! Hahaha! … I was helping my elderly neighbour carry her groceries into her kitchen. When I finished, she turned, sighed and said, "You are such a sweet girl. It's just such a shame about your face. She did give me a buck for helping though."

"Haha Amy! That's just reminded me of the time I worked at the local Piggly Wiggly when I was in High School." Chloe said. "An elderly lady came in and needed some help with finding the right type of tea. I lent her a hand, spending about forty minutes reading different labels out loud to her until she found one she liked. After she was done, she handed me a pamphlet for the STD clinic in town and said "You're a nice girl; I hope you don't go to hell."

"Oh! Haha! Aubrey, you got anything?"

"I was quite stressed over finals this year. And I stress eat as you know. Please do not judge me. During this time, I ate three extremely large packets of skittles. I realised I had missed a large section of work out of my study plan and I ... I ... I got 'concerned'. I then threw up the skittles. Taste the rainbow, puke the rainbow I guess."

Amy roared with laughter as Chloe looked to see the expression on Aubrey's face and was surprised to see a small smile flicker over her smooth lips.

"I lost in a spelling bee for spelling 'spelling' wrong." Amy continued with another story.

"Oh Aubrey, do you remember that time I used the restroom at Barden Mall. I left you in that stationery shop, do you remember?" Chloe looked at Aubrey as she nodded. "I thought I was alone in the restroom so I started singing, badly and out of tune, just because I was testing my range after having my nodes removed. When I got out of the stall, there were seven men staring at me. Not only did I embarrass myself with my own singing, I'd accidently used the men's restroom as well."

"Red, you are a danger to the public! I've got one from today actually. I shut my boob in the car door as Chloe and I switched seats earlier!"

"Oh my God, you didn't!"

"I did! Any more stories, this is fun ..."

"I wrote a text to a guy I'd had a crush on for two years. I typed "Hey" and put my phone down, not ready to send it. A little while later, I heard it buzz. The reply said "Um, what?" Apparently my brother, Finn, had added "I'm a shitty prostitute" to my text and sent it." Chloe groaned at the memory.

"How are we going to decide which the best story?" Amy asked, as she wiped the tears from her face. They all sat in silence for a moment or two.

"I've got a good one and it's a winner." Chloe said, turning her face back to the window, her voice softening a little. "I attend Barden University Graduation School with the most amazing bunch of misfit friends I could ever have imagined. I love each and every single one of them. I am part of an all-girls award winning a cappella group. I currently have a 4.0 GPA, having double majored in Biology and French this year. I am about to embark on an Anthropology Degree. I am a World Girls Junior Championship chess winner three times over. I can hold my breath for two minutes and thirty one seconds. I had a great boyfriend who until precisely ..." Chloe checks her watch. "... eight hours and eleven minutes ago I thought doted on me ..."

"Wait, what?" Amy interrupted.

"Sssh." Aubrey administered.

"... I have planned and organised field trips, planned vacations, planned nights in, planned nights out, I am part of six different clubs on campus, I didn't leave Barden even though I had the option because I like the routine of it all. I am the youngest of ten children, with nine older brothers and amazing parents. I am lucky that I have a loving family, who love me back, for my achievements, my abilities, for being me. I am a pretty put together person because of this. I am a planner, a thinker, a problem resolver." Chloe paused for a moment and turned her head towards the front of the car. "And yet, here I am, currently sitting in my best friends' SUV; being driven by my other best friend and we are seven and a half hours into a eighty hour journey. We are travelling a good four thousand plus miles across the country and back, to try to find a missing girl off the back of an email from a random stranger. This might not even _be_ Beca. It might be someone _completely_ different. She may not even be there, at this random motel on the outskirts of Las Vegas. If it is Beca, she may or may not even want to see us, let alone talk to us. It's all a little crazy. I didn't really recognise until just now that I was impulsive. Why am I doing this?" Chloe posed the question. "Because I am in _freaking_ love with her and have been for a year ... now, _that_ is a funny story!"


	10. Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?

**A/N – Ridiculously short chapter. It was early morning here in Blighty when it started raining hard, which along with the wind (outside!) kept me awake. So I gave up trying to sleep and typed up this little filler chapter to get me from Chapter 9 to Chapter 11. So this snippet is what you've got for now! Chapters 11, 12 and 13 are also finished but not proof read yet! Thanks for reading and following :)**

**Song is by Miranda Lambert and is called Kerosene.**

* * *

**.o0o. Chapter 10 .o0o.**

"It's a _go_ bro." Jesse heard over the phone as he answered it roughly ten minutes after putting the phone down to his brother Chris earlier. "We'll need to keep it quiet, but I've put you down as crew on the flight. I'm going to need to turn up in Nashville by 5am tomorrow. I'll lend you some clothes for the flight. But you'll need credentials, passport etc ..."

"Are you serious? It's not illegal is it? You can take me?"

"Yes, it's all fine, I've cleared you. But not a word to Mom, she'll do her nut."

"Why would she do that?"

"Come on Jesse, it's been hard for her to leave you in Barden after you knocked your noggins."

"I'll deal with Mom another time. OK. 5am. Nashville airport. Go it. Shit. I've got to go now. I'll drive up. _Shit_. I need coffee. I'll see you soon."

Jesse hung up his phone and paused for the briefest of seconds, listening to the song coming through his iPod, which he had left on low on his desk.

_I'm waitin' on the sun to set cause yesterday ain't over yet  
I started smoking cigarettes, there's nothing else to do I guess  
Dusty roads ain't made for walking, spinning tires ain't made for stoppin'  
I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me_

_I gave it everything I had and everything I got was bad  
Life ain't hard but it's too long to live it like some country song  
Trade the truth in for a lie, cheatin' really ain't a crime  
I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me_

_Forget you high society, I'm soakin' it in Kerosene  
Light 'em up and watch them burn, teach them what they need to learn, ha!  
Dirty hands ain't made for shakin', ain't a rule that ain't worth breakin'  
Well I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me_

_Now I don't hate the one who left, you can't hate someone who's dead  
He's out there holdin' on to someone, I'm holdin' up my smokin' gun  
I'll find somewhere to lay my blame the day she changes her last name  
Well I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me  
Well I'm giving up on love hey love's given up on me_

Should he tell Elena? No, not now. He'll call her later, when he was more clear headed. No, she'd need to know in case she came over first thing in the morning. He'd write her a note and slip it under her door. No, that was bad. He'd pack first and then make a decision. OK, what to pack? Jesse shook his head at his own behaviour. He decided he just felt a bit giddy at the thought of possibly seeing Beca. His _friend_ Beca, he retrained himself to think. He took a minute to sit down because his legs felt wobbly all of a sudden and he was just so tired.

Rubbing a hand over his face, he reached for the bottle of water that he always kept by his bed. He gulped down three mouthfuls before tipping the remaining dregs over his face. His brain was desperately trying to work out how long the drive to Nashville would take. Seeing as this was a trip he had taken a dozen times, with his family home being just on the outskirts of Nashville, he couldn't understand where his mind was going. He knew he had just had a _very_ good, satisfying but energetic evening with Elena but this was no reason to feel so damn drained.

Rubbing his eyes, he finally remembered that it was just under four hours to get to Nashville from Atlanta. Looking at his watch, he knew he had six hours before he had to be there. Jesse knew if he packed really quickly, he would have time to have a nap for an hour before heading off. Yes, that would be a good idea. He reached over to his desk where the remains of his second coffee were. Necking down most of the cup in one go, he grimaced as the dregs left a gritty, granular coating on his tongue. He took off the white plastic lid of his coffee cup and rested it on the desk. He swirled the remaining liquid around for a second or two, seeing white gritty particles in the bottom of his cup.

"Elena must have put sugar in here." He thought to himself as drained the rest of his drink. Getting off his bed and walking to his closet felt like a mammoth task but he promised himself to be done in five minutes flat. He could pick up anything he forgot at the airport, nothing else was really as important as finding his passport and then getting some sleep before hitting the road.

Jesse knelt down on the floor of his closet, knowing full well in his sleep riddled brain that he kept his passport in a box on the bottom shelf, behind the teddy bear that his sister Lucy and his Mom had made him take with him to Barden. As he leant forward to reach for the box, his head gently rested about the wall and he closed his eyes for _just a second _as the wall took the strain.

His fingers remained on the box lid and his face slumped against the wall, his shoulders dropped and his backside fell on to his feet as sleep overtook him. Part of his brain was still trying to get him to wake up as he slowly slid onto the floor, nesting himself in between the large pile of DVDs on the left of his closet and the small clothing mountain on the right but his confusing dream of two brunette girls quickly took over his subconscious as he submitted to the call of sleep.

Meanwhile, across his room, his phone lit up with the third unread text from Elena.

_*I'm sorry Jesse. I've made a mistake. I'm frightened of losing you. Please call me and I'll explain. E xx*_

_*Jesse, are you awake? Can you call me please?*_

_*Jesse! I thought you'd go to find Beca tonight. I can't lose you to her. I know she is the love of your life. Please give me a chance and I can show you that I love you more than she ever will. Jesse, I drugged your coffee tonight. Twice. I'm sorry. It was wrong and I'm sorry. I know you'll be mad with me. But I really am scared of losing you. I'm coming over to yours and I'll explain. I'm sorry.*_

* * *

**A/N – I'm not good at writing Jesse in this situation. Sorry, this is a particularly naff chapter but as always, there is a reason why this is all happening!**


	11. A Barrel Full Of Laughs

**.o0o. Chapter 11 .o0o.**

"Are you done eating that Red?"

"Yes. Yes, I am." Chloe said, pushing her almost untouched pasta dish towards Amy, who quickly forked a piece of chicken with gusto as she swooped in on the dish being passed to her.

"Chloe? You need to eat." Aubrey admonished, her long fingers curling around her water glass, as she took note of Chloe's lack of appetite. They had been seated in the diner for forty minutes and while Amy had polished off a plate full of meat loaf in almost record time, Aubrey taking her time over her chicken-salad-hold-the-mayo, Chloe had only picked at a couple of mouthfuls of her pasta dish, poking uninterestedly at the noodles with her fork.

"I am Bree, I'm just tired. It's been a long day and I'm ... I'm just tired."

"Hey Bree?" Amy asked with her cheeks full of pasta. "Where the heck are we anyway?"

"Something that passes for a Cracker Barrel, apparently." Aubrey answered simply, casting a nervous glance to her left as one of their fellow patrons, seated at the counter, lifted a cheek to pass wind. Aubrey desperately tried to control her face into something passive.

"No, I got that." Amy said, picking up a printed napkin and showing Aubrey. "I mean, where are we in the world of America?"

"This place is called Alma. It's just before the junction of the I-40 and the 540. They can a lot of spinach here. It's big business. Did you not see all the Popeye statues on the way in?" Chloe sighed, her chin resting on her left hand as she drew a lazy circle with her right hand on the rim of her glass of root beer. She looked up at Amy who was still sporting a confused look. "It's Arkansas. About ten miles before the border of Oklahoma."

"How'd you know all that?"

"Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale." Chloe said, almost forgetting to explain before continuing. "My great, great, great grandfather built about one thousand miles of the I-40 between 1857 and 1859. It was called the Beale Wagon Road then."

"Do you know everything about everything?" Amy asked as she speared a piece of broccoli with her fork.

"No ... I ... I just know stuff! You know? I just retain a lot. Brain gets a bit busy sometimes. I don't know much about Australia though. You've got that covered!" Chloe added kindly. Amy puffed her thanks and continued to chew her way through Chloe's pasta, pausing occasionally to use her fork as an orchestral baton as she sung an unshared song in her mind.

"Chloe, sweetheart, what can I help you with?" Aubrey asked, sitting opposite Chloe in the tight booth, looking imploringly toward her friend. She knew Chloe only rambled off random facts when there was something wrong.

"Nothing Bree, I'm good. I'm just tired."

"Chloe?" Aubrey sighed, reaching for Chloe's hand across the table, visibly blanching as her hand brushed against _something_ dried but still sticky on the table top. They had needed to stop somewhere to eat, that was quick service and not off the road so they wouldn't have to stop for long. Aubrey had allocated them one hour for food and relaxation before they wanted to be back on the road. It wasn't Aubrey's first choice of restaurant but the food was good, the service was friendly and pleasant and there were spare tables.

"Honestly, it's nothing. It's just that ... it's just that ..." Chloe paused, her resolve breaking. "... we're ten hours into this _thing_. We've got twenty hours to go. We're only a third of the way there, and I'm beat. I'm tired. It's been an emotional day. I've not slept in some forty hours and if I'm truthfully, catching three to four hours sleep a night has taken its toll on me over the past few months. I'm just tired of this. And I haven't even begun to think about the journey back. I'm starting to think this wasn't such a good idea."

"Why not Red? I think this was a great idea ... oh sorry, Bree ... I didn't mean to share my food with your sweater."

"I think Amy is right." Aubrey said, flicking off the piece of pasta that Amy had unwillingly shared with her, silently berating the Aussie and ignoring the gag reflex rumbling up to her throat. "I think this is just what you needed."

"What I needed?" Chloe repeated. "Aubrey, this isn't about _me_. I made a _promise_ to _Beca_ that I would _always_ be _there_ for _her_. I would _always_ be her _friend_, no matter what. Come hell _or_ high water. And we _all_ know she has _tested_ us this year, not even _counting_ the last few _months_. I mean let's leave _that_ out of it."

Amy paused mid mouthful as she looked up to face her friend, taking in Chloe's tone. Chloe never had a tone.

"She was trying our patience, to see how far she could go with us. With the _snarky_ comments, the ignoring of texts and phone calls, her _defiance_ at you Aubrey. It wasn't Beca being _difficult_; it was just Beca _protecting_ herself." Chloe continued, clearly on a roll, unleashing months of frustration. "It took me ... us ... but more me I know, a year of her _pushing_ me away, me _constantly_ offering my hand of friendship to her, I could see she was desperate to accept it but she kept on _shoving_ it back down my throat, _pushing_ me _further_ away, especially after the Semi Finals when she barked at me and stormed off. But she was broken, lost, frightened. She'd never had friends like us before; she admitted that to us after you puked Aubrey. That was as close to Beca _opening_ up as she could then. Then, those walls came crashing down. She let us in. She let Jesse in and look how that all ended. I'm so_ angry _at her right now. How _dare_ she do this to us? How _dare_ she not get in contact? How _dare_ she belittle our friendship like this?"

"Chloe, you are allowed to be angry at her. She let you down!"

"No, she didn't Bree, she didn't. That's the _thing_. She never promised to be our friend ... my friend. She didn't ask for me to fall in love with her. That's my own undoing. And believe me I fell for her in a harder way than I realised. I've spent that last two hours in the car going over everything in my head, and now I've got a head ache because of it." Chloe poked at her temple, to prove her point. "She is maddening, incredibly talented, beautiful, loving in her own way and she just gets under your _skin_. Whether she wants to be my friend in all this; it's irrelevant now. I just want her safe. I want her home. And if I have to keep my love for her a secret, I can do that. I can do that for her. And I know you both will as well. Because I can inflict pain if I have to. Just having her close by will be enough ... And I'll eventually move on ... I know she doesn't feel the same way because if she felt an ounce of what I do right now, she wouldn't have done this to me. I do, however, think this is _crazy_. I am dragging two people across the country that probably had better things to do with their weekend than join me on my _aca-crazy_ endeavours and ..."

"Chloe, stop. This is silly. You have hardly dragged either Amy or me anywhere. I do not recall you ever asking me to come with you. I decided to step up and help. The whole summer ... the entire summer, you have spent looking for her, searching for her; spending goodness knows how much money, time and effort. It has cost you your boyfriend. OK, so things obviously were not all perfect and rosy there but it hit me earlier today that I love Beca too. And I understand a lot of things about her which I, perhaps, did not quite appreciate before. But, above all of this Chloe, I realised that if ever I was in need of help, ever lost, alone or frightened that you would be there. Without fail. Without question. And I understood you better this morning than I ever done before. My weekend plans that you think you have ruined were merely things to do. A list that I could tick things off from. This." Aubrey swept her hands between the three of them, before gesturing outside towards the parking lot and her car. "This is far more important. You never gave up on me. And I know I am not the easiest person to know. To like. To love. To be friends with. But you stuck by me. You have stood up for me. And against me. And I am grateful for that. I am a better person for knowing you. I love you Chloe Beale. I always have done and I always, always will."

"Wow, Aubrey ... I'm ..."

"What she said Red!" Amy said as she chased the last bit of pasta from the bowl before giving up and throwing down her fork. "My plans for the weekend included shaving my nipple hair, so it's all good."

"Gross."

"Well Blondie, I can't quite match what you said." Amy dug her elbow unto Aubrey's ribs as Aubrey rolled her eyes at her comment. "But Chloe ... dear Chloe, I didn't quite realise that you had such a thing for the alt girl. And it sounds like you didn't either until she left. Absence makes the heart grow fonder huh? I was shocked when she took off. Not really sure why she ran. I thought the herpes outbreak was her or she'd been caught with her pants down somewhere. But hey, I just accept stuff as it's said. Story comes later. And yeah, the Jesse thing. She was clearly never really into him. You could tell by the way she never closed her eyes when she kissed him. I don't get why she took off and never gave us as much as a hooroo. But you need to know she is safe. You need to do this. And I am literally stoked that you guys asked me to come along. You twig bitches are pretty cool."

"Thanks, both of you really. I can't really speak right now but thank you."

"Well, we have seven minutes before we are scheduled to leave so shall we order some hot chocolate to go. I have got enough on my calorie counter to allow myself a small indulgence. And Chloe, no arguments, but I am getting you a sandwich to go for the car and I want to see you eat it within an hour." Aubrey spoke softly as she scanned the diner for their waitress, signally kindly with her eyes when she found her. Turning her attention back to Chloe, the controlling catch back in her voice. "Although, I would appreciate you not getting crumbs on the upholstery."

Chloe just smiled as Aubrey spoke to the waitress, ordering their drinks and a sandwich, and asking for the check.

"So Red, tell me about the email thingy. You've been emailing hotels across the country?" Amy asked as Aubrey excused herself to use the restroom, picking up the money from the table that Amy had thrown down earlier in payment of her losing the funny story game.

"Hmmm." Chloe said, fatigue really starting to set in, as she rubbed her eyes. "I called the hotel about an hour ago as you know. And yes, thank you again for reminding me to call! I never even thought it could be a hoax until you said that. Did I not tell you what was said? Sorry."

"No, but that's probably by the time you joined us, I had me head in the menu, licking the photos."

Chloe smiled again as she recalled the conversation that she had with Pete, the owner of the Whole Year Inn in Henderson with Amy.

**.o0o.**

_"Good evening, Whole Year Inn."_ Rang out the unmistakable tone of a bored receptionist.

"Hello and good evening to you too sir. Is this the Whole Year Inn in Henderson, Nevada?" Chloe asked as she indicated for Aubrey and Amy to go into the restaurant and get a table without her.

_"Yip."_

"Yay. My name is Chloe Beale."

_"How many?"_

"Pardon me?"

_"How many nights you want?"_

"Oh no, sorry, I'm calling for information about one of your residents."

_"Nah, don't do that shit."_

"Excuse me?"

_"I don't give out details."_

"Oh. Please let me explain a moment."

_"Are you lookin' to stay here?"_

"Not at the moment. I'm calling about B ..."

_"You're tying up the line."_

"I'm just calling ..."

_"Look lady, if you're lonely, there are other numbers to call."_

"I'm not lonely. I'm calling to ask you ..."

_"As preddy as your voice is, I've got me some other calls to take. I don't want to be rude but I'm going to have to go if you don't want a room."_

"Is B ...?"

_"No, you have to go."_

"Can I ask a question please?"

_"Bye now."_

"I WANT A ROOM." Chloe shouted.

_"You do want a room? You one of those new age lot that is smoking the dopes?"_

"No sir, why would you think that?"

_"Cos you sounded then like you don't know what's you want."_

"What?"

_"Changing your mind like a typical woman."_

"Oh."

_"How many nights?"_

"Erm, one night."

_"One bed?"_

"No, there will be three of us. We are meeting one of your resid ..."

_"You into that sort of thing?"_

"What?"

_"Threesomes?"_

"Aca-scuse me?"

_"What the ferk was that?"_

"What?"

_"That noise you made?"_

"I said excuse me, didn't I?"

_"Dunno. Dang girl! That was a weird noise."_

"May I ask a question?"

_"Yes ma'am, I'll be available to join you in your sexcapades."_

"Oh my God!"

_"I've been called that before."_

"How do you even ... ? How do you get guests with that attitude?"

_"Everyone around here knows Pete."_

"Who's Pete?"

_"Me."_

Chloe puffed out her cheeks and blew out the air in her mouth.

_"You still there? You sound like you're somewhere windy?"_

"No, I'm still here. Please may I make a reservation for two rooms for one night, starting tomorrow?"

_"Yes. That's fine. Name?"_

"Chloe Beale."

_"Second name?"_

"Fat Amy."

_"Didn't your mama like you much?"_

"Aca-s ... excuse me?"

_"Your middle name is Fat Amy. Just a bit bizarre, that all."_

"Oh, my middle name is Anne-Marie."

_"Why'd you say Fat Amy?"_

"That's the name of the second room."

_"Our rooms have numbers. One through twenty, we don't have a thirteen though. Too much voodoo shit."_

"I don't even know what you are saying. What ..."

_"Who's Fat Amy then?"_

"My friend."

_"You call your friend Fat Amy?"_

"Yes, so people don't say behind her back. We say it to her front."

_"Why?"_

"Oh ... she's Australian, we didn't question it."

_"She sounds like my kind of woman. Give her my number?"_

"Oh my God. Please put both rooms in my name. I'm paying when I arrive."

_"Credit card."_

"I don't have one with me."

_"I'll need one to secure the room."_

"Oh, yes of course. Erm ... will you take an Amex Prepay?"

_"No. Not Amex. You rich?"_

"Erm ..."

_"Tell you what, you sound nice and I've enjoyed talking to you. I'll put you down as a walk up tomorrow."_

"Thank you. I appreciate it Sir. I have one question, please."

_"No pool."_

"No, that's fine."

_"No bar either."_

"No, that's OK."

_"Anything else?"_

"Yes! Please listen a moment. My name is Chloe Beale and I wrote you an email about my friend Beca Mitchell."

_"Chloe ... Becky Mitchell?"_

"Beca, yes."

_"Beca? Oh! You're the chick from Atlanta!" _

"Yes!"

_"You still lookin' for your friend?"_

"Yes! It's the reason we are coming to Nevada. We are coming to get her."

_"She's been here a long, long time. Rent paid up early each week, gave her discount for length of time. She looks ill though. Tired looking, you know. Quiet girl. Young. Skinny. A whole lot of crap in her ears. Keeps to herself. Preddy little thing though. Nice ass."_

"Yes, that's her. Is she still with you?"

_"Yes. Is that why you are staying here tomorrow night?"_

"Oh totes!" Chloe said, trying not to mouth 'obviously' afterwards.

_"Why didn't you just say earlier? Could have saved yourself a lot of conversation."_

"I tri ... yes, I should have done. Mr Pete, we'll be there by tomorrow night. Please take my number and let me know if she looks like she is leaving."

_"What time is your flight coming in?"_

"We're driving. We are about 10 miles from Oklahoma at the moment."

_"Ferk girl, you gotta a long way to come."_

"I know sir."

_"She a good kind of friend?"_

"The best kind."

_"I can't make promises but I'll try and keep her here until you get here. She aint due to leave until Monday. What's your number?"_

"It's 202-555-0135. Thank you. I appreciate your help, Mr Pete, I really do."

_"I like the way you say my name. I have a question for you."_

"Shoot."

_"Are you single?" _

**.o0o.**


	12. More Than Meets The Eye

**.o0o. Chapter 12 .o0o.**

Beca woke early on Sunday morning, early enough that it was still dark outside but light enough to let her know it was almost dawn. Waking early was nothing unusual for her anymore except the hunger pangs she had felt in her belly for the past few weeks were all but gone. As she lay in her bed, thankful for the peaceful feeling that had washed over her, she allowed herself to think of where she was going to go next. She was surprised what a few crackers and some fruit had done for her, giving her much needed strength and clarity.

Placing her hand over her stomach, fingers lightly dancing over the small bump, Beca rolled over on to her side. She raised her head up and stuffed the second, thin pillow underneath her neck, popping her shoulder back and leaning into the mattress. She ran a finger over the bed sheet, shiny from years of use and boiled washes, tracing patterns across the creases in the sheets. It was the boredom that Beca hated the most. Sure, the television provided a distraction on occasion but the small, flickering, boxy screen gave her a headache after a while. Plus the three channels she could receive were the news channel, a children's cartoon channel and a shopping channel. Not exactly high end viewing. But sporadically, she enjoyed the break in monotony and she used it to check the time, having neither a watch nor a phone.

**.o0o.**

Beca knew she would be seeing Maggie today. She still didn't know how she felt about her. Beca knew she didn't trust many people. That was nothing new and no surprise to anyone. She could count on the fingers of one hand how many she people she had cared about in her life. There was her Mom, of course. She would never find anyone like her Mom and she missed her every single day. Beca had stopped telling people that her Mom had died when she was sixteen. She couldn't handle the other persons discomfort as well as her own pain each time someone asked. She just withdrew into herself even more, shutting out the world around her. Her Mom was her rock and they just had each other for the longest time, since her Dad had left to start a new life with Sheila. Her Mom's death from a car accident had torn them apart before Beca could say goodbye. Three years later, the pain was still there but Beca allowed herself to think of a few happy thoughts while she lay in bed, before moving her mind along.

After the funeral, her Dad had insisted that she move down to Atlanta immediately. Beca had other ideas and spent three months avoiding her Dad. The house that they had lived in went through to foreclosure, the furniture sold to pay the legal fees and the funeral but Beca had managed to salvage a few personal possessions before she had to leave. She had lied to the State and told them she wasn't in contact with her father so she was sent to live with a foster family until she turned eighteen. She hated it there. Obviously, she was Beca Mitchell after all. They wouldn't let her play her music when she wanted to start with, insisting on family time and shared activities. When it became abundantly clear that she was unwilling to join in, they relented and let her live out her time with them on her own.

She had grown fond of them before she left and had appreciated their hard work towards her and left them a card on the day she left. That was about as much as she could do. Fully intending to leave their home to go to Los Angeles, she was surprised when the plane ticket turned up on her 18th birthday from her father; a one way ticket to Atlanta, with a letter explaining that he wanted a second chance to get to know his daughter. Knowing she didn't have the funds to get to LA herself and subconsciously needing a parental figure in her life, she agreed to try it, regretting her decision on the day she turned up at Barden.

There was a boy in High School she had gotten close to. Jared. He was quiet and distant, closed up and moody. He gravitated towards Beca and she accepted his friendship, however weird it seemed to the outside world. He was someone to spend time with; they would sit on the swings in the park, not giving a _flying fuck_ about anyone else. They would share the bottles of beer he had snuck out of his dad's fridge, swigging as they swung, never talking, just being together. They would lend each other support through tests and exams and she would hold him tightly to her when he showed her the bruises and marks; the results of brutal beatings from his father. He would listen to her first attempts at mashing music, never laughing when it didn't go well but not telling her what to change. Just listening.

It took them just four months to become a couple and they found solace from the world; the kind of peace and quiet that comes from loving someone else. They started sleeping together not long after that and she found real comfort in his arms, the first sense of love from anyone but her Mom. But as usual, the happiness bubble was not to last and after a particular vicious beating that had seen Jared turn up at Beca's door at four in the morning, coughing up blood, he had been taken to hospital by her foster parents who sat with her while he was in surgery for punctured lungs, damaged kidneys and a perforated diaphragm. He hadn't really stood a chance and didn't make it through the gruelling surgery. The doctors were sympathetic of course, they said the right words and they offered her condolences. She hadn't really known how to feel, still raw from her Mom's passing. So she retreated into herself. Protecting herself. Ignoring the rush of blood in her ears when someone mentioned either of their names.

She hadn't let anyone else into her world for such a long time until Jesse came along. With his goofiness, endearing qualities and tireless enthusiasm, he had taken over a little piece of her heart. Not enough for her to lose herself to him completely, because yeah, _that_ never ended well, but enough that she found she missed him when he wasn't around or they hadn't spoken that day. It took a while for her to accept him though and it wasn't until Spring Break, and being at Barden on her own had given her time to muse over this, that she realised that she did care for him.

Narrowly avoiding losing him forever, she had taken her Dad's heartfelt advice and apologised. It had worked up to a fashion, they had slept together; a truly awful night but one she was almost prepared to forgive on account of them both being drunk and Jesse being too eager. But then her birthday popped up, the surprise party getting in the way of her talking to him about it all. And she still hadn't been able to fathom, all these months later, what he thought he was doing when he dropped to his knees, a mischievous grin on his face.

She'd felt the bile rise in her throat that night at whatever game he was playing at. She really didn't know what he was thinking. Was he actually proposing to her with that _stupid_ little black velvet box or was it a wind up? One of his stupid jokes perhaps? All she could think of in that moment, as she ran out of the door was that the queasiness in her belly was worse when he was around. She had turned towards the dorms, fully intending to lock her dorm door and not answer anyone who dared to come within six feet of her. She was acutely aware of someone running after her and she knew by the clacking of heels that it wasn't Jesse. She had purposefully walked quicker to get away from, who she rightly assumed was, Aubrey and Chloe but they caught up to her, Chloe clutching at her arm in an attempt to get her to stop.

Beca had rounded on her friend. Stopped dead in her tracks and spun around, hair flicking across her face and she knew her eyes must have been blazing. She had stood there with clenched fists. Actual tight fisted hands, ready to swing if she had to. Even at that beautiful face in front of her. Those cerulean blue orbs in front of her, begging her to open up, to explain what had just happened. Didn't Chloe realise after knowing her for months, that trying to tame Beca was nigh on impossible, trying to _touch_ her while she was angry was like a red rag to a bull. Chloe, with all that intellect leaking out of her pores, was hopelessly stupid to feelings sometimes and Beca couldn't fathom why Chloe didn't take the regular hints that Beca threw her way. She was trying to push her away, like all the time, and yet Beca yearned for Chloe's affections, friendship, alliance and love but was not prepared to act on it.

Beca didn't want someone else to get hurt because of her, she was a blackness, a dark vortex that engorged people's souls and made them leave her. She was the cause and she was the reason why people died. A cancer of despair. And she didn't want Chloe to see this and get hurt. So she held her at arms length, sometimes unconsciously letting her close and needing her friendship like ice cream needs chocolate sauce and then shoving her away in a panic and retreating into her own world when things got too familiar.

So she had shouted at Chloe, told her to leave her be, that she had some things to sort out and to leave her alone. And this had been true. Beca had had an inkling that something was different about her for a few days, with the crying in secret, the soreness of her breasts, the endless dreams about her future, how the smell of food made her feel odd and lightheaded and her urge to pee all the time. That and the fact that she was late that month. And uncharacteristically for Beca, this was one thing she was never late with. And she thought she knew what was going on, planning on taking a test within a few days to confirm her suspicions.

And she had hated herself as she shouted at Chloe, it hadn't been her fault, she wasn't to know what was going on in Beca's head. And Chloe would have been the perfect person to have told her fears too. She wouldn't have judged, passed comment or told her what to do. Beca knew this as she lay in her bed, in a mouldy motel, in Vegas, far away from everyone. Chloe would have given her a hug, told her everything would have been OK, sat down with her, talked with her and probably would have suggested involving Jesse into it all straight away which Beca knew she should have done. She would have made the completely fucked up situation she found herself in better somehow. So Beca did what she had always done in the past, something she was pretty good at and closed up before her friends eyes, pulled herself away from Chloe's grasp and stared daggers at Aubrey.

The fifth person Beca would admit that she trusted was Aubrey. And this surprised her. And she almost smirked as she thought it would have shocked the heck out of Aubrey too if she knew. She understood Aubrey. She may not have liked her in the beginning, because let's face it, Aubrey never gave her reason to but as the year had worn on, cracks began to show in Aubrey's façade. She had touched her hand after one Bella's practice and while Beca had recoiled like she had been burnt, there was a look on Aubrey's face that almost showed recognition, empathy and compassion. Like she knew of Beca's past, her losses, her hurt and pain. Beca had hardly known anything about Aubrey then. She had imagined Aubrey had had the perfect life, the perfect childhood, the perfect schools, ballet recitals and bridge evenings. It was only after one of Fat Amy's many parties celebrating the ICCA win, where Aubrey had been very keen to become best friends with a large bottle of expensive Merlot, that she learned a lot more than she had bargained for from her Bella's Captain.

Aubrey, in a pretty full on intoxicated state, spilled some of her past out to Beca, the words tumbling over each other in an effort to leave her lips. Beca had gone out onto the Quad outside their dorm for some fresh air, finding the eighth round of Aussie Beer Pong a bit over the top. Aubrey had followed her a few minutes later, aberrantly invading Beca's privacy, as she half fell into her lap, knocking the brunette flat on her back. With an anxiously cuddly Aubrey pinned to her side, legs entwined with Beca's, there was little that Beca could do but listen to Aubrey's numb-tongue speech, sporadically interspersed with a few Merlot flavoured hiccups for good measure.

"The thingth isth Beca, we areth quite alike in a lotsth of waysth. Do you knowsth that? Your Dad isth a complete assth hole and stho isth mine."

"You OK there Aubrey? You know its Beca, right? Do you need me to get you Chloe?"

"I wanted to fuckth Chloe when I firsth meth her. Didn't you?" Aubrey said as her almost regal poise slipped.

"Not the very first thought that crossed my mind, no."

"Oh come on, you twosth with all of your eye sexth and touching."

"She's like that with everyone."

"Yes, but mostly with you." Aubrey almost spat out.

"I don't think so! Are you jealous or something?"

"Good God, no! She'sth my bestesth friend. Ever. In. The. World. But she doesn'th geth my father. Did you know my mother left usth both the day I was born? Mmm hmm. He resented me ... for ... ever ... for ith. He hatesth me. Hatesth me. Said I killed her becasueth I wasth born. Had to take a desk jobth. Had to give up a Lieutenant‑General position to take careth of me. I never wasth goodth enough for him. I tried Beca. I tried. Nothing isth good enough."

Beca recalled the rest of the conversation with Aubrey clearly. Aubrey described the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, nothing violent or degrading but daily loveless, anger fuelled interactions that damaged a young girls head and heart permanently. Even perfect scores on tests and exams failed to excite her father. There were never any birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmases, outings or treats. Aubrey had just accepted it and ploughed all of her efforts into trying to please her guiltless father who dutifully spent his money on her, more to impress his friends at the Country Club rather than for his only daughters' benefits, paying for elocution lessons because of her slight nervous lisp, three types of music lesson, sports, dance classes, all designed to keep her out of the house as much as possible.

Taxis were organised to take her everywhere she needed to go and it wasn't unusual for her not to see her father for weeks on end. But all Aubrey had wanted was to be tucked in at night, be read a bedtime story, to have help with her homework, to go to the park on a warm sunny day, to have her father buy her an ice cream, to have him say one kind word. But nothing was good enough, despite her efforts. He would read her report cards, glare at her over the top of his glasses and go back to what he was doing before she interrupted him, she would tremble while waiting, needing his signature on the return slip. Turning her attention towards college years later, she had chosen one that was about as far away from her father as possible and the rest was history.

Aubrey didn't mention the conversation again and Beca never brought it up. There was an unspoken covenant between the two of them that they acknowledged was there but that was it, Beca recalled. And as hard as she shoved Chloe out of the way that night, ignored Aubrey's attempt to calm her down, using a soft voice that Beca had never heard before, it was nothing to what Beca had done to Jesse. She had turned, run into him and remembered telling him that she didn't love him; she would have told him anything to get him to let go of her wrists, held in his vice like grasp. She recalled the last things she had said to him.

_"NO JESSE! I can't right now. This has all gone wrong. You've made a mistake in loving me. I'll ruin your life. This has got out of hand. I can't be who you want me to be. I'm a terrible person. Please leave me alone." Beca had yelled and pushed him wildly away with her hands. Jesse had then attempted to grab at her wrists, which was a mistake. Beca had pushed him harder this time and yelled as she ran away. "I don't love you Jesse. Fuck this. Fuck you!"_

She remembered glancing back as she got to the crossroads; saw Chloe clutching at Aubrey's shirt calling after Jesse. She saw him shortening the distance between them as she picked up the pace, doing anything to gain some space between them. She'd put a good couple of hundred feet between them when she heard a sickening screech of tyres and had spun around just in time to see one of the local brewery's trucks slam into Jesse as he crossed the intersection.

Feeling a fear like nothing else she had experienced in her young life, despite her previous experiences, she screamed out Jesse's name as she ran over to his body, ignoring the truck driver that had pulled his vehicle to the side of the road, who had already alighted from the cab and was bending over his body, digging around in his pocket for his phone by the time Beca had got there. She collapsed on her knees beside him, her hands flailing all over his body, not quite knowing whether she dare touch him, knowing not to move him, but needing to do something.

Her fingers found his carotid artery and she pressed her fingers into his flesh, feeling nothing in return for her probing. She felt Chloe come up beside her, pulling her away from him. She looked down and saw the ground beneath his head was damp, acutely aware that the claret puddle spreading slowly outwards was his life force slipping out of him. She heard Aubrey on her phone, calling for help, speaking clearly into the phone, her dignity and manner remaining cool and calm and very Posen like. She had felt Chloe's arms sweep around her waist, holding her tightly as Beca screamed for Jesse to wake up, knowing the last words he had heard her say were in anger and despair.

Beca knew that this was all her fault. She knew that she couldn't have stayed where she was. She had to go, to leave, to go far, far away for a little while. Unable to cope with all that had been presented to her that evening, she struggled against Chloe, almost clawing at her hands to get away, pinching at the skin on her best friends arms in an effort to get her to release her grip. She had almost head-butted Chloe as she bucked against her, straining to get away. With more strength than she realised she had, she placed both feet firmly on the ground and forced herself upright. Chloe, sitting in an awkward position on the floor, couldn't contain Beca on her lap and by the time she reached out to grab Beca again, she was gone.

By the time Beca stopped running, she was lost. Having never ventured that far out of the Barden University campus on her own, she didn't know where she was. And she was also cold. Inwardly groaning to herself at her own stupidity for leaving her jacket and phone behind, she walked around for a while, looking for a café or somewhere to sit for an hour or two, have a drink and collect her thoughts. She came upon the bus terminal which was nestled just behind the train station, almost out of sight, as if an afterthought.

Beca saw the notice for a coffee shop and headed towards the worn sign promising decent coffee for a dollar. She pushed open the door, which let out an eerie squeak, signalling her entrance to all the patrons within. Ignoring the glances she received, she headed for the counter and placed an order for a hot tea, before sliding onto a rickety chair, clearly in need of repair as one of the legs was clearly a good two inches shorter than the others. Placing her elbows on the wobbly table, she leaned in, using her legs to tuck the chair in behind her. She cupped her hands together and rested her chin on her palms, blowing out the tension in her jaw.

As her hot water and tea bag arrived, placed lazily on the table in front of her causing some of the water to spill over the side, she tried to rationalise her thoughts and she thanked the waitress, a bored looking twenty-something year old whose gum smacking abilities were second to none.

Jesse's accident wasn't her fault. She knew that deep down but she'd left him there. He was dead. She'd felt no pulse. But Chloe and Aubrey were there. They'd know how to deal with it because they were Chloe and Aubrey, and they knew everything. But she'd still left Jesse, when he needed her to be there the most. Chloe would have understood her need to not be involved. Although she'd never told Chloe everything about her Mom and Jared, she knew she had shared enough that Chloe had taken the hint that there had been drama and sadness in her life and she had lost important people.

Beca needed to get away from Barden for a few days. To clear her head. To think. She left her tea untouched, the water having gone cold while she sat thinking. She exited the coffee shop and made her way to the ticket booth, thinking she would get the bus to a nearby city and stay in a hotel for a couple of days to clear her head, before calling Chloe and asking her to come and get her.

As she waited behind the customer being served, her eyes fell to the departure board and she scanned through the available destinations. Her eyes settled on a particular destination, one that she had always wanted to go to, one that she should have gone to at the start of the last school year. With her mind racing, and her brain calculating how much it would cost to restart a life in Los Angeles, she was called to the booth and asked where she wanted to go.

"Los Angeles please."

"Return price is ..."

"No, just a single."

"That'll be three hundred and twelve dollars, seventy three cents please."

"Um ... OK." Beca reached into her back pocket and withdraw her birthday money. She rifled through her notes, pulling out the required amount, noting that that was half of the money gone. She told herself it would be OK, that'd she'd be working by the end of the week and it would all be good.

"Bus departs at 11.25pm, you'll need to transfer at Dallas, Texas onto the 1403 and pick that up. Transfer at Las Vegas onto the 6362. There'll be a layover there for three hours. Here ... this is your ticket. Go to this departure point here. Here is the itinerary. Don't lose it; you'll need it for the onward journey. Here is your change."

"Thanks." Beca said, taking the ticket and information. "Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome. Next please."

And as Beca sat on the stone bench near to where her bus was departing, she willed the clock ticking above her head to move faster before she changed her mind. She was doing the right thing. She had gotten her boyfriend killed, not on purpose but still because of her. She had rejected and pushed away her friends. They would eventually forget about her. She knew she had made the right decision to leave. She was even prepared to leave her music equipment behind. But Beca had still left Jesse and the more she thought about, the more paranoid she became, thinking ... believing ... knowing that it was her fault and that the law enforcement would try to pin the blame on her for running away in the first place, causing Jesse to follow her into the road, into the path of the truck.

She _should_ have told Jesse what was going on. This would _never_ have happened. If only she had been honest sooner.

**.o0o.**

Beca was still laying in bed drawing shapes on the bed sheets when the air conditioner kicked in, noisily pulling her from her thoughts. She silently cursed the machine as she sat up in bed, folding her legs, interlocking her ankles, knowing that the machine usually kicked in at around nine in the morning. She looked over to her jeans and shirt, the only clothes she had worn for three months and she suddenly hated the sight of them. Reaching for her shirt to pull over her head because, despite being alone in the room, she was naked underneath the blankets, having washed her underwear in the sink as she did every day and she was never quite sure if the creepy owner Pete had spy cameras in the rooms. Feeling the need for a hot shower, she pushed the blankets off her hips down to her knees, She was about to unfold her legs to scoot off the side of the bed, when she looked down and saw the dried blood caked to the inside of her thighs.


	13. I Dare You To Lick Your Elbow

**.o0o. Chapter 13 .o0o.**

"Ready to go?" Aubrey said, returning from the restroom, having collected the hot drinks and Chloe's sandwich and paying the check on the way back. "Chloe, you look exhausted. You need to sleep."

"I know Bree, I'm OK though. Let's go. I'll drive for a while. Take my turn now." Chloe stated as she scooted along the booth.

"No, I _will_ pull rank on you." Aubrey stiffened and nodded.

"Bree! I'm fine." Chloe said, standing and adjusting her belt buckle, pulling it around to the front of her jeans.

"As Chief-In-Charge Co-Captain of the Barden Bella's ..."

"Really Aubrey, really? You are going with that?" Chloe asked, a mischievous grin appearing on her face, as she smoothed out her shirt.

"... I am telling you that Amy and I are going to drive through the night and you can take a turn in the morning." Aubrey said, ignoring Chloe's comment and handing her the hot chocolates and sandwich.

"Hell yeah!" Amy said, desperate to get back behind the wheel again. "Living in the Outback, we'd drive six hundred miles to do a weekly shop. And most of our trucks don't have windows. Or doors. And we drive at night, you know, to avoid the dingoes. I'm used to this night-time sizzle. But my motto is '_never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly_' or something like that but yeah ... potholes just add to the excitement. And there is always the challenge of how many bugs you can catch on your windscreen. Hey, Aubrey, can we tie something to the front of your Caddy?"

"What? No!" Aubrey bristled, looking at Amy incredulously.

"Aww, come on. We could buy one of those teddy bears from the gift shop and string it to the front! Heeeey ... gift shop? Why does a Cracker Barrel have a gift shop?"

"It's America, everywhere has a gift shop." Chloe remarked sarcastically.

"Right on!" Amy said, marching towards the front of the shop as Aubrey hesitated at the door, wondering whether to pull on Amy's arm to get her to go outside, or actually support Chloe, who looked like she was about to collapse with exhaustion and tiredness.

"You can hardly keep your eyes open sweetheart." Aubrey said to Chloe, as she wrapped an arm around her best friends' waist, pulling her into her shoulder. "You need to get some sleep. How about I promise you that I will set the cruise control at seventy five miles per hour if you promise to go to sleep?"

"Aubrey Posen, breaking a rule!" Chloe teased, pulling out of Aubrey's embrace as she pushed open the door to the warmth of the evening outside.

"What? Breaking a rule. No?"

"It's seventy miles an hour until Texas, New Mexico and Arizona."

"Oh." Aubrey looked defeated as her own self-indulgent-bravery-disclaimer-bubble burst, unlocking the car with her key fob.

"But Amy can keep a look out." Chloe said quickly, disappointed in her friends crushed face, sad she had caused that. She needed sleep, she was getting nit picky. "You know, for the cops, so you don't ... you know ... get caught, and have to run from the state troopers because we know you'd be the best at avoiding jail time!"

"Too right!" Amy said, running to join them at the car, holding a rather large teddy bear, catching the last dregs of the conversation. "We'd be like Thelma and Louise! Plus a hostage! Runnin' from the law!"

"What?" Aubrey asked, climbing into the driver's seat.

"Oh you know ..." Amy started as she threw the teddy bear on the back seat, forgetting her plan to tie the soft object to the front grille of the car.

"Not really." Aubrey blanched.

"Life is too short for traffic." Chloe quoted as she clicked her seat in from the back seat, removing the sandwich from the bag beside her, taking note of Aubrey's confused face in the rear view mirror as she started the engine, putting the car into reverse and backing out of the space.

"A tree never hits an automobile except in self defence." Amy quipped back, pulling the seatbelt over her shoulder and clicking it into place.

"Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac!" Chloe said, taping her hand holding one of the hot chocolates on Amy's shoulder. "Here, take this and put it in the front for Bree ... and here ... here's yours."

"The speedway ends at the cemetery. And thanks chick!" Amy took the cups from Chloe.

"Until you've learned to drive, you've never really learned how to swear." Chloe remarked with a grin.

"Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic. It's true. I've noticed." Amy nodded enthusiastically at Aubrey as she slipped the gears into drive.

"Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand brake on." Chloe said.

"I used to keep my love in the trunk." Amy said, quizzically. "And I'd drive real slowly over speed bumps, so he doesn't bump his head around."

"Haha! I can just imagine Bumper in the trunk of a car!"

"He won't let me drive anyway. Something about being a liability on the roads and not looking where I am going."

"The fool!" Chloe laughed out loud, knowing exactly what Bumper had meant.

"Two wrongs don't make a right you know ... but three lefts do."

"What?" Aubrey was really confused now.

"Oh you know what we need in here ... one of those lorry ... sorry truck ... chains that hang from the ceiling ... the ones that hook up to your horn?"

"What on earth would you do that for?" Aubrey asked, joining in the conversation properly.

"You know ... pull on the chain and your horn goes ... HOOOOONK ... HOOOOONK ..." Amy said, mimicking the action of pulling a cord from the car ceiling. "In Australia, if they can't repair your brakes, they just make your horn louder. It's a system. It works. Don't judge."

"Oh my God. Am I the only one making any sense here tonight?" You will be the death of me. Both of you. Chloe ... eat your sandwich. Amy ... drink your chocolate. And let us have some calm for a while ... Now, why is my car making that beeping noise? Amy, what did you press? Oh! ... It is the seatbelt light. Who failed to put their seatbelt on?" Aubrey demanded, before realising it was her. She reached out a hand to pull on the seatbelt.

"Aubrey! Buckle up! Buckle up! It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car when you're buckled!"

"Really? Really?" Aubrey started before letting the smile ghost over her lips, as Chloe belly laughed in the back of the car, watching Aubrey fasten her seatbelt.

"Fair dinkum mate. I don't lie." Amy deadpanned.

"Amy, I may not have said it but ..." Aubrey placed a hand to her chest, over her heart. "... I'm _really_ glad you are here."

"You may not be saying that in twenty four hours Blondie! But thanks. Glad I could keep you chicks entertained. How much longer before we stop breakfast?"

"Let's push it for another ten hours if we can manage it guys." Chloe suggested from the back. "That will put in the region of Albuquerque. We'll be two thirds of the way then. And on the home stretch for this leg of the journey."

"Time for some songs then. Let's have a sing song."

"We need to keep the volume down. Chloe must sleep."

"OK, let's play truth or dare until Red falls asleep."

"How are we going to play truth or dare in a car?"

"Oh mate, I've got everything covered. If you can't do your dare, you have to answer two truths. Aussie rules. I'm so bored of the Beale Road or whatever we are calling it. We've been on this road forever."

"It is the I-40, it goes on forever."

"I hear ya. Aubrey, you go first ..."

"Why me?"

"Because you are in charge. Remember?"

"OK then. Dare. Just to prove you wrong, I choose dare."

"Right on Blondie. I'll make it easy as you're driving. I dare you to lick your elbow."

"Lick my elbow. That is impossible. No one can ..." Aubrey tried to bend her elbow to one side and poked out her tongue. "... lickth ... thierth ..." Aubrey twisted her arm again, placing her hand on her shoulder to try to reach the crook of her arm. "... elbowth."

"Do you give up Blondie?"

"You tricked me?!"

"Pretty much. Two truths. Chloe gets to ask one and so do I."

"This is a silly game."

"Only because you are losing. Chloe, you go first."

"Oh, this could be hard. I know a lot about Bree already! Amy, you ask both questions."

"OK. Number one, what is the worst thing that you hate about being a girl?"

"Oh, that is easy. My fathers' disapproval. He always wanted a son to carry on his traditional values. I am a big disappointment to him and he never let me forget it. I tried really hard to be perfect for him. He was quite happy to stump up the funding for our apartment, because it was something he could boast about at the country club and he really didn't want me to come home. It was never about doing something _for_ me."

"Erm ... Blondie ... sorry, didn't mean to stir that up."

"You haven't." Aubrey answered truthfully. "Next."

"Number two, who was your first crush?"

"Haha, erm ... sorry, OK, it is not erm ... *cough* ... yes, well ... we ... it was ... *cough* oooh ... not sure I sh ... *cough* haha ... oooh look, I think that's a shooting star."

"Aubrey? Really?" Chloe said from the back seat, somewhat enjoying see her best friend squirm in the front seat. "Truth Aubrey."

"Who was it?" Amy asked again as she watched Aubrey's face flush, never before seeing her lose her cool.

"It was Chloe."

"Our Chloe? Red? The 'ginga ninja'? Her?" Amy asked, thumbing towards the back seat.

"Yes! We shared a dorm freshman year. I had come from a loveless family and this power pack, ball of energy launched herself at me and became my first ever real friend. It led to me always being a little in love with her."

"Did you ever act on it?"

"That was my two questions and you are not getting anything else out of me."

"You so know I am gonna ask you later on it." Amy said. "Chloe, you next. Truth or dare?"

"Oh totes truth."

"What is the most embarrassing thing you have ever done?"

"Oh ... Tom and I went to Miami for the weekend. We went out for a swim and we were getting jiggy in the ocean. We saw a manatee in the distance and I wanted to take a picture of it so ran out of the sea to get my camera ... completely forgetting I had stripped off in the water. I wasn't really all that embarrassed because you know ..." Chloe gestured to herself in the darkening car. "... I'm pretty confident about all this. It was only totes embarrassing that people clapped."

"You push doors that are meant to be pulled as well. That is pretty embarrassing." Aubrey laughed.

"Well yes, my genius tendencies are not built for the most basic of tasks Bree! I'm going rest my eyes for a bit guys, let you two talk for a while. Wake me up when we hit Albuquerque."

* * *

**A/N - I hope I am not confusing everyone too much! It will all start coming together in the next couple of chapters so keep reading. Leave me a review if anything needs explaining and I'd be happy to let you in on my thought process!**


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